The Abalone sexes are separate and can be distinguished in individuals
as small as one inch when the Abalone gonads begin to develop. The
Abalone eggs or sperm are released through the Abalone pores with the
respiratory current. This is known as broadcast spawning. A 1.5 inch
abalone may spawn 10,000 eggs or more at a time, while an 8 inch abalone
may spawn 11 million or more. Spawning may be controlled by the water
temperature or length of the day. The Abalone presence of eggs and
sperm in the water may stimulate other abalone to spawn, thus increasing
the Abalone chances of fertilization.
The Abalone egg hatches as a microscopic, free living larvae. It drifts
with the currents for about a week, then the abalone larvae settles
to the bottom, sheds its swimming hairs (cilia) and begins to develop
the Abalone adult shell form. If suitable habitat is located it may
grow to adulthood. the chance that an individual larva will survive
to adulthood is very low. Fortunately abalone and most mollusks are
prolific spawners but the Abalone mortality still probably exceeds
99%.
Hybrid abalone are not uncommon in areas where several species occur
together. All species can hybridize, but the most common hybrids are
red and white with pink.
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