Studies on southern Australian abalone (genus Haliotis) XV. Fecundity of H. laevigata

Abstract

Fecundity and length-weight relations were determined for six populations of the greenlip abalone Haliotis laevigata on the coast of Eyre Peninsula. The relation between length and fecundity was non-linear with power coefficients of length ranging from 3.7 to 7.2 ford ifferent sites. The between-site variation in fecundity is attributed to differences in food supply, water movement and habitat, although genetic effects cannot be excluded. Length-weight relations varied little between sites, and power coefficients of length ranged from 2.8 to 3.2.