In the end it was neither beauty nor gymnastic mating rituals that won the public over. In voting the Chilean abalone to victory in the international Mollusk of the Year contest on Thursday, people seem to have voted with their stomachs.
The edible underdog — known commonly as the “loco” — pulled in 42 percent of the global votes, despite being up against some formidable opponents. Contenders included the psychedelic attractions of the wavy bubble snail and the giant Methuselah oyster, which can live for 500 years.
If sporting acclaim and recognition was not enough, the tough-shelled sea snail would now have its entire genome decoded by the Loewe Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics in Frankfurt, Germany, which runs the competition, in an effort to benefit science and humanity.
Photo: AFP / SENCKENBERG SOCIETY FOR NATURE RESEARCH / AKETZA HERRERO BARRENCUA
The abalone’s nominating researchers basked in the victory.
“It feels great. As you can understand, the loco is not the most attractive mollusk,” said Antonio Baeza, a researcher at Clemson University in South Carolina. “Although I guess it must be way more tasty than a sea slug.”
Served simply with a dab of mayonnaise or added to soup, the snail is a traditional delicacy in its home countries of Peru and Chile.
That popularity might have helped the Chilean abalone to victory, but the loco’s potential extends far beyond the dinner plate.
RESEARCH BENEFITS
Unlocking the top predator and keystone mollusk’s genome would reveal how marine invertebrates deal with overfishing and pollution on a molecular level, researchers say.
It could also potentially boost the fight against certain types of cancer in humans thanks to the oxygen transporting pigments in its blood.
The annual competition is held to raise awareness of the diverse animal group, which range from the deep sea colossal squid to garden slugs.
Mollusks have been around for more than 500 million years and are the second-largest phylum of animals after insects.
However, they are shrouded in mystery because of a lack of genetic research, organizers said.
The aquatic South American snail made its slow slide to victory a long list of 85,000 contenders was whittled down to five finalists that slugged it out in a public vote that ended on Sunday.
In second place came the billowing neon skirts of the wavy bubble snail, followed by the long-lived Methuselah oyster and the thick-horned nudibranch. In last place was the leopard slug — the only land mollusk on the list, notable for its feline body markings and an intricate mating ritual that sees couples climb a tree together and then abseil off.
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