- Green ormer
Taxobox
name = Green ormer
image_width = 250px
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Mollusca
classis =Gastropoda
ordo =Archaeogastropoda
familia =Haliotidae
genus = "Haliotis "
species = "H. tuberculata"
binomial = "Haliotis tuberculata"
binomial_authority = The green ormer, "Haliotis tuberculata", is acoast alunivalve mollusc , growing inEurope an waters as far north as theChannel Islands . It is prized as a delicacy, leading to a decline in its population in some areas.Description
It grows up to 10 cm long, with a line of holes along one edge of the shell; the older holes eventually become blocked. The inside of the shell has a thick layer of
Mother-of-pearl .Habits
The green ormer eats
alga e, especially thesea lettuce .It breeds in summer, via
external fertilisation .Channel Islands
Ormers are considered a delicacy in the British
Channel Islands and are pursued with great alacrity by the locals. This has led to a dramatic depletion in numbers since the latter half of the 19th century, and 'ormering' is now strictly regulated in order to preserve stocks. The gathering of ormers is now restricted to a number of 'ormering tides', from theJanuary 1 toApril 30 , which occur on the full or new moon and two days following. No ormers may be taken from the beach that are under 80 mm in shell length. Gatherers are not allowed to wear wetsuits or even put their heads underwater. Any breach of these laws is a criminal offence and can lead to fine of up to £5,000 or six months in prison. [http://www.goodfoodguernsey.gg/fromthesea/ormer.aspx] The demand for ormers is such that they led to the world's first underwater arrest, when a Mr. Kempthorne-Leigh of Guernsey was arrested by a police officer in full diving gear when illegally diving for ormers.External links
* [http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Ormer.htm British Marine Life Study Society site]
* [http://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/Haliotistuberculata.htm Green Ormer at MarLIN]
* [http://www.gastropods.com/7/Shell_967.html In photographs]
* [http://www.idscaro.net/sci/05_hali/species/tuberculata_lamellosa.htm#a1 green ormer at Idscaro]
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