 Pāua hatch as trochophore larvae and feed on plankton that are present in seawater that is being pumped into the holding tanks, when the larvae are ready to settle (usually 7 days at 16 °C) they are moved to settlement tanks which consist of many glass plates that have small films of diatoms present (usually "Navicula minimata").The diatoms are the main food source for the juveniles until they reach about 3 cm in length then diet is then switched to a macroalgae species ( Several species have been used including "Lessonia variegata" "Pterocladia sp.