Abstract: The abalones of H. diversicolor supertexta with an average body weight of 14.25?2.21g can survive over a starvation period of 20 days at 24.3±1.7°C water temperature, (30.42?1.63)‰ salinity, and pH of 8.15?0.11. The concentration of haemolymph protein in the abalones varied slightly in five days when exposed to starvation and substantially dropped progressively after seven days of starvation. Based on these resutls, it is surmised that there was mass humoral protein consumed for life support from 7d to 20d during starvation. The abalones survived with following decreases: a) phagocytosis activity of haemocytes; b) respiratory burst; c) haemolymph lysozyme activity; d) haemolymph agglutination titers and e) anti-infectious immunity during starvation; however, some immune parameters, such as haemolymph clearance efficiency , phagocytosis activity of haemocytes , respiratory burst and haemolymph lysozyme activity, sometimes went up somewhat in the first five days of starvation. Consequently, it is suggested that the abalones are born with functions of starvation stress adaptation. In early period of starvation the abalones did protect themselves and adaptate to surroundings by the way of improving immune effection owing to subnutrition, and this biophilia styles of stress adaptation and natural ability maintaining changed or degenerated from day seven of starvation resulted from seriously poor nutritional state?and excessively?intravital resources degradation. Perhaps the haemolymph lysozyme activity and agglutinating titers decreased resulting from reduction of haemolymph protein, while the intracellular granules reduction may directly result in haemolymph lysozyme activity and agglutinating titers dropped.

Key words: Haliotis diversicolor supertexta, starvation stress, immune response, resistance, Vibrio parahaemolyticus