Haliotis rufescens Swainson, 1822

Description

Geiger and Owen (2012).

Distribution

East coast of the Pacific Ocean from Sunset Bay, Oregon, USA, to El Rosario, Baja California, Mexico (Mardones et al. 2013). In Chile this species is found around Caldera (27° S) and in the Región de Los Lagos (41° S to 46° S), only in aquaculture farms (Valdovinos 1999), with the first introduction to the country in 1977 (Flores- Aguilar et al. 2007).

Possible mechanism of introduction/Status

Imported to Chile for aquaculture (Flores-Aguilar et al. 2007).

Remarks

Herbivorous species, this species has an indirect impact on the communities of the native rocky kelp Lessonia nigrescens and Lessonia trabeculata, which are used as abalone food in the local aquaculture facilities (Castilla et al. 2005; Flores-Aguilar et al. 2007). This species is also a primary and secondary introduction vector in Chile for the non-indigenous boring polychaete species Dipolydora huelma Sato-Okoshi and Takatsuka, 2001; Dodecaceria cf. opulens Gravier, 1908; Polydora rickettsi Woodwick, 1961 and Terebrasabella heterouncinata Fitzhugh and Rouse, 1999 (Moreno et al. 2006). UA, II.