DENSITY-DEPENDENT MORTALITY OF RECRUITS OF THE ABALONE HALIOTIS-RUBRA (MOLLUSCA, GASTROPODA)

In three wild populations of Haliotis rubra surveyed off southeastern Australia during the three years 1987-1989, 0 to 10% post-settlement H. rubra survived for 5 mo. Sequential censuses (February, May and December in each year) provided evidence that mortality of post-settlement H. rubra increased with the density of settlement. The occupation of cryptic habitat by H. rubra soon after settlement may well be an adaptation for avoiding predators or grazers and dislodgement by violent water movement.