Abalone

Abalone are special kinds of sea snails that belong to the genus Haliotis. They are the only group in their family, called Haliotidae. These sea snails have shells that look flat and ear-shaped, and the inside of their shells shines with a beautiful material called nacre. One special feature of their shells is a row of tiny holes that they use to breathe.

People in many parts of the world enjoy eating abalone. It is considered a tasty treat and can be eaten raw or cooked in many different ways. There are about 70 different kinds of abalone living today, and while some are quite small, the biggest ones can grow up to 12 inches long. Abalone can be found in oceans all around the world, from cold waters to warm ones.

Names

Abalone has many different names around the world. It is sometimes called ear shells or sea ears. In some places in Australia, it used to be called muttonfish or muttonshells. In the United Kingdom, it is known as ormer. In South Africa, it is called perlemoen, and in New Zealand, it is called pāua.

Description

Abalone shells are special because they are shaped like an ear and have a shiny, colorful inside. These shells have a row of holes near the edge that help the abalone breathe. The inside of the shell is made of a material called nacre, which can shimmer with many colors like silver, pink, red, or even blue.

Abalone are sea snails that stick tightly to rocks in the ocean. They eat seaweed, especially red and brown algae, using a special tongue-like tool. They can be as small as 20 mm or as large as 300 mm, with some species being quite big. These snails are known for their beautiful shells, which people often use as ornaments or in jewelry.

Distribution

Abalone can be found in coastal waters all around the world, on every continent except the Pacific coast of South America, the Atlantic coast of North America, the Arctic, and Antarctica. Most abalone species live in cold waters, like near New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Western North America, and Japan.

Evolutionary history

Abalone are part of a group called Vetigastropoda, but scientists are not sure exactly where they fit within this group. Even though they are in the order Lepetellida, they might not be closely related to other members of this order. They could be more closely related to another group called Trochoidea, or they might be outside a larger group that includes both Trochoidea and the rest of Lepetellida.

The oldest known fossils of abalone come from a time called the Campanian during the Late Cretaceous period. These fossils have mostly been found in North America, which suggests that abalone might have first evolved there. However, some scientists think they may have originated in the central Indo-Pacific region because that is where abalone are most diverse today. The family Haliotidae, to which abalone belong, might have evolved from families called Temnotropidae or Trochotomidae. One ancient creature named Trochotoma frydai, found in Spain from the same time period, looks very similar to the Cretaceous abalone Haliotis antillesensis, except it has a slit instead of a row of holes.

Structure and properties of the shell

Abalone shells are very strong because they are made of tightly packed calcium carbonate. There is also a special protein in the shell that helps make it even stronger. When pressure is put on the shell, it tends to lose layers instead of breaking apart. Scientists are looking at this shell to help make better protective gear like body armor.

When people work with abalone shell and create dust, it can be harmful if inhaled, so they need to take steps to stay safe.

Diseases and pests

Abalone can get sick from different infections. In 2007, a disease called ganglioneuritis caused many abalone to die in some places. Because abalone don’t have much ability to stop bleeding, even small injuries can make them very sick. Some small sea creatures called Spionidae, which are a type of polychaete, can also harm abalone.

Human use

Abalone have been used by people for thousands of years for food and beautiful decorations. Their shells, with a shiny inside layer, have been made into jewelry, buttons, and decorations for furniture and musical instruments. These shells have been found in places all over the world, from very old sites in South Africa to old Chinese areas in California.

Farming

Abalone farming began in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Japan and China. Today, most abalone eaten comes from farms because wild abalone numbers have dropped. Countries like China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea are big in abalone farming, but it also happens in places like Australia, Canada, Chile, France, and the United States. In Western Australia, there is a special area where young abalone are raised on structures made of concrete.

Consumption

Abalone is a special food in many parts of the world. In parts of Latin America, France, New Zealand, East Asia, and Southeast Asia, it is considered a fancy dish. In Greater China and among Chinese communities, it is known as bao yu and is often part of special meals. In Japan, it is used in sushi or cooked in many ways. In South Korea, it is used in soups and rice dishes. In California, it can be found on pizzas or in other dishes. Prices for abalone have gone up over time as it has become more popular but less common.

Sport harvesting

Australia

Tasmania provides a lot of the world’s abalone harvest. People there enjoy diving for abalone, with rules about the size and number they can take. In Victoria, abalone fishing has been happening since the late 1950s, but catches have gone down because of diseases and fewer abalone.

United States

In California, people need special permits to take abalone, and there are rules about how many and how big they can be. Taking abalone has become harder because there are fewer of them. In December 2025, California decided to stop people from taking abalone for ten more years until April 2036.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, abalone is called pāua. People there can take abalone without a permit but must follow rules about how many and how big they can be. There are problems with people taking abalone illegally, and officials work to stop this.

South Africa

South Africa has several types of abalone. People need permits to take them, but many are taken illegally. Because of this, abalone was listed as an endangered species, though this has since changed. The meat is not sold in South Africa to help protect the abalone.

Channel Islands, Brittany and Normandy

In the British Channel Islands and parts of France, abalone called ormers are a special food. There are strict rules about when and how people can take them to make sure there are enough left.

Decorative items

The shiny inside layer of abalone shells has been used for decorations, jewelry, and even on musical instruments.

Indigenous use

Abalone has been important to Indigenous cultures in Africa and along the Northwest American coast, used as food and for making ornaments, and sometimes as currency.

Threat of extinction

Abalone are in big trouble because people have caught too many of them, and the ocean is getting more acidic, which makes it hard for their shells to stay strong. In recent years, some types of abalone in the United States have been listed as endangered. Scientists are thinking about ways to help them come back, like putting some farm-raised abalone back into the ocean with special tags so they can keep track of how they are doing.

Species

The number of types of abalone has changed over time, depending on which source you look at. Currently, there are 76 living types and 25 older types that are no longer around. Many abalone animals are losing numbers and need protection around the world.

Extant species

• _S01.jpg)

  A dorsal view of a live ass's ear abalone, Haliotis asinina

The pink abalone, _[Haliotis corrugata](/wiki/Haliotis_corrugata)_

The black abalone, _[Haliotis cracherodii](/wiki/Haliotis_cracherodii)_

Dorsal (left) and ventral (right) views of the blacklip abalone, _[Haliotis rubra](/wiki/Haliotis_rubra)_

The [white abalone](/wiki/White_abalone), _[Haliotis sorenseni](/wiki/Haliotis_sorenseni)_

A shell of _[Haliotis varia](/wiki/Haliotis_varia)_ form _dohrniana_

Fossil species

• †Haliotis amabilis (Itoigawa & Tomida, 1982)
• †Haliotis antillesensis Sohl, 1992
• †Haliotis benoisti Cossmann, 1896 (Aquitaine, France)
• †Haliotis bertinii Forli, Dell'Angelo, Ciappelli & Taviani, 2003
• †Haliotis flemingi Powell, 1938 (New Zealand)
• †Haliotis hokiangaensis Eagle, 2002
• †Haliotis kochibei Hatai, Kotaka & H. Noda, 1970
• †Haliotis koikei Shibata, 1957
• †Haliotis koticki Hertlein, 1937
• †Haliotis kurosakiensis Kotaka & Ogasawara, 1974
• †Haliotis lamellosoides Sacco, 1897
• †Haliotis lasia Woodring, 1932
• †Haliotis lomaensis Anderson, 1902
• †Haliotis mathesonensis (Eagle, 1996)
• †Haliotis matihetihensis (Eagle, 1999)
• †Haliotis mooraboolensis McCoy, 1876
• †Haliotis naevosoides McCoy, 1876
• †Haliotis ovata Michelotti, 1847
• †Haliotis ovinoides McCoy, 1876
• †Haliotis plioetrusca Dominici, Forli, Brunetti & Taviani, 2025
• †Haliotis powelli C. A. Fleming, 1952
• †Haliotis stalennuyi Owen & Berschauer, 2017
• †Haliotis torrei Ruggieri, 1990
• †Haliotis volhynica Eichwald, 1829
• †Haliotis waitemataensis Powell, 1938

Synonyms

Main article: List of abalone synonyms

Abalone has many different names that people use to talk about it. These names come from various languages and places. You can find a list of these names in the article linked above.