Download FAR 2016/39 Fine-spatial scale assessment of growth rings in paua (Haliotis iris)

Protein layer deposition at the shell spire of paua is clearly not driven by either temperature or spawning activity. The deposition of protein layers on the inner surface of shells appears to be a continuous process. A dramatic fall in the gonad index between August and October 2014 was highly likely to indicate a spawning event in the area over that period. A sharp decline in water temperature at this time may have provided a cue for spawning.