Haliotis rubiginosa

Haliotis rubiginosa, common name the Lord Howe abalone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalone.^[2]

Haliotis rubiginosa
Drawing of a shell of Haliotis rubiginosa
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Vetigastropoda
Order:	Lepetellida
Family:	Haliotidae
Genus:	Haliotis
Species:	H. rubiginosa
Binomial name
Haliotis rubiginosa Reeve, 1846
Synonyms[2]
Haliotis howensis (Iredale, 1929) Sanhaliotis howensis Iredale, 1929

This species was previously stated as a synonym, subspecies or form of Haliotis varia Linnaeus, 1758 ^[3]

Description

The size of the shell varies between 30 mm and 50 mm. "The ovate shell is rather convex, radiately plicately wrinkled and spirally ridged. The ridges are obtusely scaled. The six open perforations are rather approximated. The exterior surface is rusty orange, spirally streaked with white. Besides the peculiarity of its sculpture, it is very fairly characterized by its rusty orange painting and silvery interior."^[4]

Distribution and habitat

This marine species occurs in the littoral zone of Lord Howe Island, from the intertidal zone down to about 10 meters depth.^[1]