Increased demand and overfished resources have prompted the development of an abalone farming industry in the US and abroad. Expansion of this food industry has been hampered by the slow growth of these mollusks. It is proposed that a faster growing red abalone (Haliotis rufescans) be produced by the induction of triploidy. Results from published reports on other molluscan species infer that chromosomal manipulation in abalone should create sexually sterile animals which channel energy away from gonad production into enhanced meat and shell growth. Triploidy may also produce secondary benefits such as improved meat quality and adaptability to a greater range of environmental conditions. Chemical and thermal shock will be tested for their ability to induce triploidy in abalone eggs, and for their effects on post- treatment survival. Increased growth rates should increase profitability and stimulate further industry expansion. The techniques developed in this work could be used on technically unsophisticated farms using simple equipment.
