Abalone
Abalone ( (listen) or ; via Spanish abulón, from Rumsen aulón) is a common name for any of a group of small to very large sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Haliotidae.Other common names are ear shells, sea ears, and muttonfish or muttonshells in Australia, ormer in England, abalone in South Africa, and pāua in New Zealand.Abalone are marine snails. Their taxonomy puts them in the family Haliotidae, which contains only one genus, Haliotis, which once contained six subgenera. These subgenera have become alternate representations of Haliotis. The number of species recognized worldwide ranges between 30 and 130 with over 230 species-level taxa described. The most comprehensive treatment of the family considers 56 species valid, with 18 additional subspecies.The shells of abalones have a low, open spiral structure, and are characterized by several open respiratory pores in a row near the shell’s outer edge. The thick inner layer of the shell is composed of nacre (mother-of-pearl), which in many species is highly iridescent, giving rise to a range of strong, changeable colors, which make the shells attractive to humans as decorative objects, jewelry, and as a source of colorful mother-of-pearl.
The flesh of abalones is widely considered to be a desirable food, and is consumed raw or cooked by a variety of cultures.
Paua (noun)
A large, edible abalone, Haliotis iris, native to New Zealand, whose shell is used to make jewelry.
Paua (noun)
The shell of this mollusc.
Paua (noun)
A fish hook made from this shell.
Abalone (noun)
An edible univalve mollusc of the genus Haliotis, having a shell lined with mother-of-pearl. from mid-19th century
Abalone (noun)
The meat of the aforementioned mollusc. from mid-19th century