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Ontogenetic habitat shift in abalone Haliotis discus hannai: a review

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Abstract

Ecological literature on abalone Haliotis discus hannai populations is reviewed to identify processes and factors driving ontogenetic shifts in habitat. Abalone recruitment is related to the algal community type, with abalone shifting with growth from deeper crustose coralline algal (CCA) habitats to shallower kelp bed habitats via algal turfs. Timing of the habitat shifts is linked to ontogenetic changes in diet, from benthic diatoms to a diet dominated by macroalgae. Susceptibility to predation appears to change, concomitant with the shift from cryptic microhabitats during early-life stages to more exposed habitats during latter-life stages. Interstitial spaces between cobbles and boulders in the CCA habitat are considered to be important for reducing predation risk. The loss of CCA nursery habitat through sedimentation and macroalgal overgrowth likely negatively affects abalone recruitment. Preservation of diverse algal communities, including suitable habitats for the different abalone growth stages, is critical for successful abalone recruitment.

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Modified from Takami et al. (2017)

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Acknowledgements

We thank Toshihiro Onitsuka, Daisuke Muraoka and Christopher Norman for useful comments. We also appreciate the careful reading on our manuscript and the fruitful suggestions given by reviewers. This study was pertly supported by the Coastal Ecosystem Complex Project of the Ocean Resource Use Promotion Technology Development Program, MEXT of Japan.

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Correspondence to Hideki Takami.

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This article is sponsored by the Coastal Ecosystem Complex Project of the Ocean Resource Use Promotion Technology Development Program, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.

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Takami, H., Kawamura, T. Ontogenetic habitat shift in abalone Haliotis discus hannai: a review. Fish Sci 84, 189–200 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-017-1169-y

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