THE “BUZZ” ON ABALONES
HALIOTIS
RUGOSA LAMARCK, 1822: A CONFUSING AND LITTLE
KNOWN ABALONE FROM THE INDIAN OCEAN - A BRIEF
DESCRIPTION AND PHOTO STUDY.
Buzz
Owen
P.O. Box 601
Gualala, California 95445
buzabman@mcn.org
In this issue of “The ‘Buzz’
on Abalones” column, we will continue
our exploration of some of the lesser known
Haliotis species with an examination
of Haliotis rugosa Lamarck, 1822 (non
Reeve, 1846), a species found on Réunion
and Mauritius - two island groups located in
the southwest Indian Ocean, not far from Madagascar
(H. rugosa is not distributed, so far
as is known, on Madagascar itself). A number
of junior synonyms exist for H. rugosa,
the most frequently encountered in the literature
being H. revelata Deshayes, 1863. There
are two morphological variants (with stronger
spiral ribs) that have been described as H.
alternata Reeve, 1846, and H. nebulata
Reeve, 1846. Additionally, as many as four of
the seven specimens of the contentious taxon
H. multiperforata Reeve, 1846 (in the
BMNH type and general collection), appear to
represent H. rugosa. There is also
confusion about its relationship to H. pustulata
Reeve, 1846, and the possibility of synonomy
or subspecies status exists (Herbert, 1990;
Geiger, 1996; 1998a; Geiger and Poppe, 2000).
In brief, it is a most confusing taxon indeed!
I tend to share the opinion of Daniel Geiger,
that it is not synonymous with H. pustulata.
I am not aware of any work being done comparing
epipodial morphology of the two, or better,
DNA studies. This would almost certainly clarify
this issue and put the question behind us once
and for all. Four color plates are used to illustrate
31 specimens of H. rugosa; additionally,
eight specimens of H. pustulata from
Mozambique are included as a comparison. One
of the specimens from Mauritius, previously
identified as H. multiperforata in
the general collection of the BMNH, is also
included (Pl. 4).
This particular example of that taxon definitely
represents H. rugosa. The type of H.
multiperforata, and one of the two specimens
which have “Mus. Cumings”, on their
data tags, (listed as “paralectotypes”
by Daniel Geiger [1998a]), are also included
(Pl. 1). These three
shells have no locality data, and their synonymy
with H. rugosa seems somewhat less
clear: the type specimen having 10 open tremata
(H. rugosa typically has five or six),
and one of the two paralectotypes possessing
spiral ribs which are narrower and less flattened
– more like what is typically found in
H. pustulata. A future report is planned
that will explore all seven specimens that have
thus far been located in the BMNH collection
and are identified as H. multiperforata.
Description of H. rugosa: The following
is an excellent description taken from “A
Conchological Iconography. Family Haliotidae”
by Daniel Geiger and Guido Poppe (2000): “Shell
small (to 56 mm), oblong, light to medium weight,
depressed, hardly arched, somewhat convex. Anterior
margin straight to slightly curved. Spire low,
to somewhat elevated, visible in ventral view.
Holes (tremata) slightly larger than average,
round, slightly raised, usually 5-6 open. Dorsal
surface very distinct yet low, square-profile,
spiral cords differing in width up to three-fold,
cords often more pronounced and more tightly
spaced close to suture, with irregular radial
growth marks. Columella wide. Coloration variable;
most frequently sepia to dark olive-green base
color with sharp transitions to sand and cream
blotchy markings with superimposed tenting.
Color pattern also with water-color-like transitions.
Nacre bright white. No muscle scar.” Now,
with the thought that sometimes “One picture
is worth a thousand words”, over 40 specimens
of H. rugosa will be illustrated, along
with location data, together with the type specimens
of the two synonyms H. alternata and
H. nebulata. Completing this pictorial
comparison, several specimens of H. pustulata
will be included. It is hoped that in the future,
more work with the animals will resolve the
relationship between this species and H.
rugosa.
(click
here for plate 1)
(click
here for plate 2)
(click
here for plate 3)
(click
here for plate 4)
LITERATURE
CITED
Geiger,
D. L. 1998. Recent Genera and Species of the
Family Haliotidae Rafinesque, 1815 (Gastropoda:
Vetigastropoda). The Nautilus 111: 85-116.
Geiger, Daniel L. 2000. Distribution and Biogeography
of the Recent Haliotidae (Gastropoda: Vetigastro-poda)
World Wide. Bollettino Malacologico 35:
57-120.
Geiger, D. L. and G. T. Poppe. 2000. Family
Haliotidae. In: Poppe, G.T. and Groh, K. (Eds).
A Conchological Iconography. Conchbooks,
Hackenheim, Germany. 135pp, 83pls.
Lamarck, J. B. 1822. Natural History of the
Animals Without Vertebrae. T.6(2):1-232.
Reeve, L. 1846. Monograph of the Genus Haliotis,
22 pp., 17 pls.
