Late 20c Abalone Shell Imperforate Holes

Description

Vintage Abalone Shell from a Palm Beach estate. Abalone shells are rare and can portray iridescent blues, greens, and purples. … more Vintage Abalone Shell from a Palm Beach estate. Abalone shells are rare and can portray iridescent blues, greens, and purples. When polished, they shine brightly and look more like a gemstone than a seafood shell. Abalone only exists in a few areas of the world, typically where the ocean is cold. They can be found off the coast of New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and Japan.

The rarest types of abalone found in the ocean are known as ‘imperforates’. The rarity stems from the fact that they have no holes in their shells at all. This listed specimen shell appears as if it did have holes, but perhaps lay on the ocean floor and over centuries was covered with natural calcium growth - BUT WE ARE NOT SCIENTISTS - WE ARE GUESSING...

This is particularly bizarre when you consider the function of these holes. They’re used primarily for respiration, but also reproduction, and the excretion of waste. Since abalone are defined by their row of respiratory pores on the shell it is of course quite interesting that some individuals have been found that do not have them! These abalone, called imperforates, are extremely rare and only three are known for certain, all black abalone (Halotis cracheodii). A recent scientific paper published by Buzz Owen, Dave Leighton and Dr. Brian Tissot (2015) describes these rare and unusual abalone.

The first was found near Los Angeles, California in the early 1900s, is 3.9 inches (100 mm) in length, and is currently in the National Museum of Natural History (the Smithsonian) as the type specimen for form imperforata of the black abalone. The second individual was a freshly dead juvenile found in a tide pool at Johnson’s Lee, Santa Rosa Island, California, in August 1964 by Chuck Snell. It measured 1 inch (26.5 mm) in length. I [Dr. Brian Tissot] found the third specimen alive in the intertidal zone at San Quintín, Baja California, Mexico, in July 1987. It measures 3.4 inches (86 mm) in length and was held for 8 months in the lab at the Hatfield Marine Science Center.

Please note the last picture shows the shell in a staged context - this listing is for the shell only - the other items in the photo are listed individually elsewhere on Chairish. less