Uncommon · Nature

Green ormer

Species of mollusc

The green ormer (Haliotis tuberculata) is a northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean species of sea snail, a coastal marine gastropod mollusc in the family Haliotidae, the abalone or ormer snails. The flesh of the green ormer is prized as a delicacy, and this has led to a decline in its population in some areas.

Haliotis barbouri Foster, 1946 is a synonym for Haliotis varia. According to the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) the following subspecies are recognized: The shell of this species grows as large as 10 cm (3.9 in) in length and 6.5 cm (2.6 in) in width. This flattened, oval shell is an ear-shaped spiral with a mottled outer surface. At the bottom margin of the shell, there is a curving row of five to seven slightly raised respiratory apertures, through which the mantle extends with short, exhalant siphons. As the animal and the shell grow, new holes are formed and the older holes are sealed off. These holes collectively make up what is known as the selenizone, which forms as the shell grows. The inner surface of the shell has a thick layer of iridescent mother-of-pearl. The large and muscular foot has numerous tentacles at the epipodium (the lateral grooves between the foot and the mantle).

Text: Wikipédia, CC BY-SA 4.0. · Image: Hans Hillewaert (CC BY-SA 4.0) ·