''Haliotis queketti'', common name Quekett's abalone, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

sea snail Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...

, a marine

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Haliotidae ''Haliotis'', common name abalone, is the only genus in the family Haliotidae. This genus once contained six subgenera. These subgenera have become alternate representations of ''Haliotis''. The genus consists of small to very large, edible, h ...

, the

abalone Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any of a group of small to very large marine gastropod molluscs in the family (biology), family Haliotidae. Other common name In biology, a common name of a taxon o ...

Taxonomy

''Halitosis quekketi'' was first formally described in 1910 as ''Haliotis (Padollus) queketti'' by the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

malacologist Edgar Albert Smith with the type locality given as Isezela in Natal. This species is placed in the nominate

subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

of '' Haliotis'' rather than in the subgenus''Padollus'' in which Smith originally classified it. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

honours the

conchologist Conchology () is the study of mollusc shells. Conchology is one aspect of malacology, the study of molluscs; however, malacology is the study of molluscs as whole organisms, whereas conchology is confined to the study of their shells. It includ ...

John Frederick Whitlie Quekett John Frederick Whitlie Quekett (b. London, 1849, d. Durban 5 July 1913) was a conchologist and museum curator who worked in South Africa, having emigrated there in 1871. He was the curator of the Durban Natural History Museum in June 1895. He retir ...

, curator of the Durban Museum of Natural History, who sent Smith the

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of this species.

Description

The size of the shell varies between 25 mm and 45 mm. (Original description by E.A. Smith) "The depressed shell has an ovate shape with the raised ridge parallel to the row of holes only slightly raised. The upper surface exhibits numerous spiral lirae, minutely squamose through the close elevated lines of growth. The four open holes are rather prominent. The space between the holes and the outer margin is concave or channeled. The color of the shell is brownish-white with radiating blood-red streaks, narrow at the suture and gradually widening outwards. The left outer ledge is crossed by oblique, alternating, dark olive and pale stripes. The interior surface is beautifully iridescent, ridged and grooved. The columellar plate is whitish pearly, flattened, edged externally with a thin red line."

Distribution and habitat

''Haliotis queketti'' has been recorded with certainty only from

Port Alfred A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...

in the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

north to Port Durnford in

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

and from Somalia, records of this rare species from the areas between these need confirmation. It is found at depths down to and little is known about its ecology. It is reported that specimens have been found buried under boulders or on hard surfaces within reefs.

Conservation status

''Haliotis queketti'' Is a rare species with little known about its biology, population and trends, the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

have, therefore, classed it as

Data deficient A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as offering insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessaril ...

Utlisation

''Haliotis queketti'' shells are occasionally found for sale on the international market for shell collectors.

References

* Geiger D.L. & Owen B. (2012) ''Abalone: Worldwide Haliotidae''. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. viii + 361 pp.

9 February 2012 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...

page(s): 115

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q5642441 queketti Gastropods described in 1910