Common ormer

Common ormer
Haliotis tuberculata
Max. size: 11 cm

 

Geographical distribution:
Found in the Mediterranean and Atlantic as far as the Channel Islands.

 

Biology:
The common ormer is a gastropod mollusc (with its stomach in its foot) like a limpet or a winkle.
Reddish-brown in colour, the inner face has a thick layer of mother-of-pearl and a row of holes in the whorl of the shell.

It is a herbivore and eats at twilight and dawn, grazing on algae.  The common ormer can move around quite quickly by crawling over the rocks and is highly resistant to being wrenched off.  It is often hunted for its flesh and is tasty fried in a pan with some garlic and parsley.  Common ormer collection is regulated and in the hunting season you may only hunt on foot without immersing your head in the water.

As far as reproduction is concerned, the two sexes are quite distinct.
The egg-laying season is from June to September.  When the time comes to reproduce, the males release more than a million spermatozoa per individual into the sea.  Each female lays several million eggs.  Fertilisation is therefore a matter of chance when one of these meets with a sperm.  The fertilised egg results in a larva which moves around in the water for about ten days before sinking towards the bottom in search of shelter.

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