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The righting response in haliotids
Minchin, D. (1975). The righting response in haliotids. Veliger 17(3): 249-250
In: The Veliger. California Malacozoological Society: Berkeley. ISSN 0042-3211, more
Peer reviewed article  

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Keywords
    Locomotion
    Haliotis Linnaeus, 1758 [WoRMS]; Haliotis cracherodii Leach, 1814 [WoRMS]; Haliotis kamtschatkana Jonas, 1845 [WoRMS]; Haliotis rufescens Swainson, 1822 [WoRMS]
    Marine/Coastal

Author  Top 
  • Minchin, D.

Abstract
    The author describes the importance of the righting response in haliotids when they become dislodged from the substrate or washed ashore. 16 Haliotis kamtschatkana from Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada, were inverted in trays of 12°C sea water, and their righting response was observed as follows: (1) The foot stretches over the lip of the shell and the posterior edge unfolds as the collumellar muscle rotates slowly to one side. (2) The posterior tip of the foot contacts the substrate and the sole becomes more exposed. (3) The columellar muscle contracts with an accompanying rotation of the shell, causing the animal to right itself. (4) The lateral edge of the foot folds back to expose the full sole to the substrate. 17 H. cracherodii and 7 H. rufescens, all from Montana de Oro State Park, California, USA, also showed the same righting pattern. Occasionally H. rufescens was able to right itself by extending the anterior portion of the foot over the edge of the shell. None of the inverted abalones were able to right themselves on level sand, but all were able to move across the sand.

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