The
green ormer, scientific name
Haliotis tuberculata, is a
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of edible sea
snailThe word snail is a common name for almost all members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word snail is used in a general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. Snails lacking a shell or having only a very small one are...
, a
coastThe coast is defined as where the land meets the sea. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the process of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
al marine gastropod mollusc in the family Haliotidae, the abalones 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.
The shell of this species grows as large as 10 cm in length.
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The
green ormer, scientific name
Haliotis tuberculata, is a
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of edible sea
snailThe word snail is a common name for almost all members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word snail is used in a general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. Snails lacking a shell or having only a very small one are...
, a
coastThe coast is defined as where the land meets the sea. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the process of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
al marine gastropod mollusc in the family Haliotidae, the abalones or ormer snails.
Human use
The flesh of the green ormer is prized as a delicacy, and this has led to a decline in its population in some areas.
Shell description
The shell of this species grows as large as 10 cm in length. There is a curving row of six respiratory aperture along one side of the shell. As the animal and the shell grow, new holes are formed and the older holes are sealed off.
The inner surface of the shell has a thick layer of mother-of-pearl.
Habits
The green ormer grazes on algae, especially
sea lettuceThe sea lettuces comprise the genus Ulva, a group of edible green algae widely distributed along the coasts of the world's oceans....
.
It breeds in summer, via external fertilisation.
Channel Islands
Ormers are considered a great delicacy in the British
Channel IslandsThe Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. Overfishing has led to a dramatic depletion in numbers since the latter half of the 19th century.
"Ormering" is now strictly regulated in order to preserve stocks. The gathering of ormers is now restricted to a number of "ormering tides", from January 1 to April 30, which occur on the full or new moon and two days following that. No ormers may be taken from the beach that are under 80 mm in shell length. Gatherers are not allowed to wear wetsuits or even put their heads underwater. Any breach of these laws is a criminal offense which can lead to a fine of up to £5,000 or six months in prison.
http://www.goodfoodguernsey.gg/fromthesea/ormer.aspx
The demand for ormers is such that they led to the world's first underwater arrest, when a Mr. Kempthorne-Leigh of Guernsey was illegally diving for ormers and was arrested by a police officer in full diving gear.
External links