Aquacultured Abalone

Saltwater Aquarium Invertebrates for Marine Reef Aquariums: Abalone - Aquacultured

Anyone have any experience with these?

 

Pretty cool. Never even heard of it.

 

Bump

 

Never had any experience myself but I know restaurants will pay a fortune for them. $40 per pound or half pound, can't remember which.

 

Some species of abalone (sea ears) get pretty big. I wouldn't get one with an acrylic tanks as they tend to scratch them with their radula.

 

that is one expensive snail, my first thought is if they like colder water how would they do in a reef tank

 

My thoughts exactly!!

 

I think they are hedging their bets by giving you that temperature range. While it says the one pictured is a "green abalone," which would be a cold-water species, the one in the pic is almost certainly not that species. I believe it's Haliotis ovina, a tropical species that should do well in reef tanks.

Haliotis (Haliotis) ovina

Cheers,




Don

 

Maybe you can eat it later. They are supposed to be delicious!

I would believe that you can only get aquacultured or tank raised abalone for an aquarium. My friend in California harvests abalone from time to tome. I use the term "harvest" lightly because they are only allowed 3 per person per season (if memory serves correct). Abalones are CLOSELY monitored. He and his family are required to free-dive for them (no air tanks) and the tool used to harvest is specific. Supposedly, officials sit on shore with binoculars watching for violations.

The guys I see them bring in are huge! They are about the size of a milk jug if you cut it from the opening down the center. They do fetch a high price like anpgp mentioned. My friend says "the the gold rush isn't over, it just moved off shore."

 

There are usually small ones for sale at the LFS, about the same size as the one in the pic above. I remember them selling for about $29 or so.

Theres actually a pretty cool aquafarm that raises abalone for restocking & the local fish market down below Ensenada, MX in Baja. When we go fishing, we pass right by it along the beach on our way to the cabana. Its some pretty excellent eating.....kinda like a very tender clam. You slice it and pound it out a little and fry it like calamari or in a cocktail with jumbo shrimp.....don't forget the Dos XX....."stay thirsty my friends"!!;D