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Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen ''aulón'') is a
common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
for any of a group of small to very large
marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...
gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...
mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000  extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...
s in the family Haliotidae. Other
common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
s are ear shells, sea ears, and, rarely, muttonfish or muttonshells in parts of Australia, ormer in the UK, perlemoen in South Africa, and paua in New Zealand. Abalones 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 Nacre ( , ), also known as mother of pearl, is an organicinorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it is also the material of which pearls are composed. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. Nacre is f ...
(mother-of-pearl), which in many species is highly
iridescent Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to gradually change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include soap bubbles, feathers, butterfl ...
, 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.


Description

Most abalone vary in size from ('' Haliotis pulcherrima'') to . The largest species, '' Haliotis rufescens'', reaches . The shell of abalones is convex, rounded to oval in shape, and may be highly arched or very flattened. The shell of the majority of species has a small, flat spire and two to three
whorls A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs). Whorls in nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral d ...
. The last whorl, known as the
body whorl The body whorl is part of the morphology of the shell in those gastropod mollusks that possess a coiled shell. The term is also sometimes used in a similar way to describe the shell of a cephalopod mollusk. In gastropods In gastropods, the b ...
, is auriform, meaning that the shell resembles an ear, giving rise to the common name "ear shell". ''
Haliotis asinina ''Haliotis asinina'', common name the ass's-ear abalone, is a fairly large species of sea snail, a tropical gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones, also known as ormers or paua. Both the common name and the scientific name a ...
'' has a somewhat different shape, as it is more elongated and distended. The shell of ''Haliotis cracherodii cracherodii'' is also unusual as it has an
ovate Ovate may refer to: *Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe *Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd *Vates In modern English, the nouns vates () and ovat ...
form, is imperforate, shows an
exserted This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...
spire, and has prickly ribs. A
mantle A mantle is a piece of clothing, a type of cloak. Several other meanings are derived from that. Mantle may refer to: *Mantle (clothing), a cloak-like garment worn mainly by women as fashionable outerwear **Mantle (vesture), an Eastern Orthodox ve ...
cleft in the shell impresses a groove in the shell, in which are the row of holes characteristic of the genus. These holes are respiratory apertures for venting water from the gills and for releasing sperm and eggs into the water column. They make up what is known as the
selenizone A selenizone (from the Greek "selene" meaning "moon", and "zone" meaning "girdle") is an anatomical structure that exists in the shells of some families of living sea snails: the slit shells, the little slit shells and the abalones, which are m ...
, which forms as the shell grows. This series of eight to 38 holes is near the anterior margin. Only a small number is generally open. The older holes are gradually sealed up as the shell grows and new holes form. Each species has a typical number of open holes, between four and 10, in the selenizone. An abalone has no operculum. The aperture of the shell is very wide and
nacreous Nacre ( , ), also known as mother of pearl, is an organicinorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it is also the material of which pearls are composed. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. Nacre is ...
. The exterior of the shell is striated and dull. The color of the shell is very variable from species to species, which may reflect the animal's diet. The iridescent
nacre Nacre ( , ), also known as mother of pearl, is an organicinorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it is also the material of which pearls are composed. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. Nacre is f ...
that lines the inside of the shell varies in color from silvery white, to pink, red and green-red to deep blue, green to purple. The animal has
fimbriated In heraldry and vexillology, fimbriation is the placement of small stripes of contrasting colour around common charges or ordinaries, usually in order for them to stand out from the background, but often simply due to the designer's subjective ...
head lobes and side lobes that are fimbriated and cirrated. The
radula The radula (, ; plural radulae or radulas) is an anatomical structure used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food ...
has small median teeth, and the lateral teeth are single and beam-like. They have about 70 uncini, with
denticulated This page is a glossary of architecture. A B C The Caryatid Porch of the Athen ...
hooks, the first four very large. The rounded foot is very large in comparison to most molluscs. The soft body is coiled around the columellar muscle, and its insertion, instead of being on the columella, is on the middle of the inner wall of the shell. The gills are symmetrical and both well developed. These snails cling solidly with their broad, muscular foot to rocky surfaces at sublittoral depths, although some species such as ''
Haliotis cracherodii ''Haliotis cracherodii'', the black abalone, is a species of large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones. This species is relatively small compared with most of the other abalone species from the ...
'' used to be common in the
intertidal zone The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species o ...
. Abalones reach maturity at a relatively small size. Their fecundity is high and increases with their size, laying from 10,000 to 11 million eggs at a time. The spermatozoa are filiform and pointed at one end, and the anterior end is a rounded head. The adults provide no further assistance to the larvae and they are described as lecithotrophic. The adults are herbivorous and feed with their rhipidoglossan
radula The radula (, ; plural radulae or radulas) is an anatomical structure used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food ...
on
macroalgae Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of ''Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as k ...
, preferring red or brown algae.


Distribution

The haliotid family has a worldwide distribution, along the coastal waters of every continent, except the Pacific coast of South America, the Atlantic coast of North America, the Arctic, and Antarctica. The majority of abalone species are found in cold waters, such as off the coasts of New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Western North America, and Japan.


Structure and properties of the shell

The shell of the abalone is exceptionally strong and is made of microscopic calcium carbonate tiles stacked like bricks. Between the layers of tiles is a clingy protein substance. When the abalone shell is struck, the tiles slide instead of shattering and the protein stretches to absorb the energy of the blow. Material scientists around the world are studying this tiled structure for insight into stronger ceramic products such as
body armor Body armor, also known as body armour, personal armor or armour, or a suit or coat of armor, is protective clothing designed to absorb or deflect physical attacks. Historically used to protect military personnel, today it is also used by variou ...
. The dust created by grinding and cutting abalone shell is dangerous; appropriate safeguards must be taken to protect people from inhaling these particles.


Diseases and pests

Abalones are subject to various diseases. The Victorian Department of Primary Industries said in 2007 that ganglioneuritis killed up to 90% of stock in affected regions. Abalone are also severe
hemophiliacs Haemophilia, or hemophilia (), is a mostly inherited genetic disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, a process needed to stop bleeding. This results in people bleeding for a longer time after an injury, easy bruising, ...
as their fluids will not clot in the case of a laceration or puncture wound. Members of the
Spionidae Spionidae is a family of marine worms within the Polychaeta. Spionids are selective deposit feeders that use their two grooved palps Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the second pair of appendages of chelicerates – a grou ...
of the polychaetes are known as pests of abalone.


Human use

Abalone has been harvested worldwide for centuries as a source of food and decorative items. Abalone shells and associated materials, like their claw-like
pearls A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living animal shell, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pea ...
and
nacre Nacre ( , ), also known as mother of pearl, is an organicinorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it is also the material of which pearls are composed. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. Nacre is f ...
, have been used as jewelry and for buttons, buckles, and inlay. These shells have been found in archaeological sites around the world, ranging from 100,000-year-old deposits at Blombos Cave in South Africa to historic Chinese abalone middens on California's Northern Channel Islands. For at least 12,000 years, abalones were harvested to such an extent around the Channel Islands that shells in the area decreased in size four thousand years ago.


Farming

Farming of abalone began in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Japan and China. Since the mid-1990s, there have been many increasingly successful endeavors to commercially farm abalone for the purpose of consumption. Overfishing and poaching have reduced wild populations to such an extent that farmed abalone now supplies most of the abalone meat consumed. The principal abalone farming regions are China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. Abalone is also farmed in Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, and the United States. After trials in 2012, a commercial "sea ranch" was set up in
Flinders Bay Flinders Bay is a bay and locality that is immediately south of the townsite of Augusta, and close to the mouth of the Blackwood River. The locality and bay lies to the north east of Cape Leeuwin which is the most south-westerly mainland poin ...
, Western Australia to raise abalone. The ranch is based on an artificial reef made up of 5,000 separate concrete abalone habitat units, which can host 400 abalone each. The reef is seeded with young abalone from an onshore hatchery. The abalone feed on seaweed that grows naturally on the habitats; the ecosystem enrichment of the bay also results in growing numbers of
dhufish ''Glaucosoma hebraicum'', the West Australian dhufish , Westralian jewfish, or West Australian pearl perch, is a species of fish in the family Glaucosomatidae, the pearl perches. It is endemic to the waters around Western Australia from Shark Bay ...
,
pink snapper The Australasian snapper (''Chrysophrys auratus'') or silver seabream is a species of porgie found in coastal waters of Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and New Zealand. Its distribution areas in the Northern an ...
,
wrasse The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 81 genera, which are divided into 9 subgroups or tribes. They are typically small, most of them le ...
, and
Samson fish The samson fish (''Seriola hippos'') is a jack of the genus ''Seriola''. It is found in the Indo-Pacific Oceans to eastern Northland in Australia. It is not found anywhere in New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island coun ...
among other species.


Consumption

Abalones have long been a valuable food source for humans in every area of the world where a species is abundant. The meat of this mollusc is considered a delicacy in certain parts of Latin America (particularly Chile), France, New Zealand, East Asia and Southeast Asia. In the Greater China region and among Overseas Chinese communities, abalone is commonly known as ''bao yu'', and sometimes forms part of a Chinese banquet. In the same way as shark fin soup or bird's nest soup, abalone is considered a
luxury item In economics, a luxury good (or upmarket good) is a good for which demand increases more than what is proportional as income rises, so that expenditures on the good become a greater proportion of overall spending. Luxury goods are in contrast to n ...
, and is traditionally reserved for special occasions such as weddings and other celebrations. As abalone became more popular and less common, the prices adjusted accordingly. In the 1920s, a restaurant-served portion of abalone, about 4 ounces, would cost (in inflation adjusted dollars) about US$7; by 2004, the price had risen to US$75. In the United States, prior to this time, abalone was predominantly eaten, gathered, and prepared by Chinese immigrants. Before that, abalone were collected to be eaten, and used for other purposes by Native American tribes. By 1900, laws were passed in California to outlaw the taking of abalone above the intertidal zone. This forced the Chinese out of the market and the Japanese perfected diving, with or without gear, to enter the market. Abalone started to become popular in the USA after the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in 1915, which exhibited 365 varieties of fish with cooking demonstrations, and a 1300-seat dining hall. In Japan, live and raw abalones are used in awabi sushi, or served steamed, salted, boiled, chopped, or simmered in
soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...
. Salted, fermented abalone entrails are the main component of ''tottsuru'', a local dish from Honshū. ''Tottsuru'' is mainly enjoyed with sake. In South Korea, abalone is called ''Junbok'' (/juhn-bok/) and used in various recipes. ''Junbok'' porridge and Pan-fried abalone steak with butter are popular but also commonly used in soups or ramyun. In California, abalone meat can be found on pizza, sautéed with caramelized mango, or in steak form dusted with cracker meal and flour.


Sport harvesting


Australia

Tasmania supplies about 25% of the yearly world abalone harvest. Around 12,500 Tasmanians recreationally fish for blacklip and greenlip abalone. For blacklip abalone, the size limit varies between for the southern end of the state and for the northern end of the state. Greenlip abalones have a minimum size of , except for an area around
Perkins Bay Perkins is a surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon corruption of the kin of Pierre (from Pierre kin to Pierrekin to Perkins), introduced into England by the Norman Conquest. It is found throughout mid- and southern England. Another derivation com ...
in the north of the state where the minimum size is . With a recreational abalone licence, the bag limit is 10 per day, with a total possession limit of 20. Scuba diving for abalone is allowed, and has a rich history in Australia. (Scuba diving for abalone in the states of New South Wales and Western Australia is illegal; a free-diving catch limit of two is allowed). Victoria has had an active abalone fishery since the late 1950s. The state is sectioned into three fishing zones, Eastern, Central and Western, with each fisher required a zone-allocated licence. Harvesting is performed by divers using surface-supplied air "hookah" systems operating from runabout-style, outboard-powered boats. While the diver seeks out colonies of abalone amongst the reef beds, the deckhand operates the boat, known as working "live" and stays above where the diver is working. Bags of abalone pried from the rocks are brought to the surface by the diver or by way of "shot line", where the deckhand drops a weighted rope for the catch bag to be connected then retrieved. Divers measure each abalone before removing from the reef and the deckhand remeasures each abalone and removes excess weed growth from the shell. Since 2002, the Victorian industry has seen a significant decline in catches, with the total allowable catch reduced from 1440 to 787 tonnes for the 2011/12
fishing year A fishing year is a period of time used for management and statistical purposes in fisheries. A fishing year may or may not correspond to a calendar year depending on the fishery. Northeast Multispecies Fishery In the United States The ...
, due to dwindling stocks and most notably the abalone virus ganglioneuritis, which is fast-spreading and lethal to abalone stocks.


United States

Sport harvesting of
red abalone ''Haliotis rufescens'' (red abalone) is a species of very large edible sea snail in the family Haliotidae, the abalones, ormer shells or paua.Rosenberg, G. (2014)''Haliotis rufescens'' Swainson, 1822.Accessed through: World Register of Marine ...
is permitted with a California fishing license and an abalone stamp card. In 2008, the abalone card also came with a set of 24 tags. This was reduced to 18 abalone per year in 2014, and as of 2017 the limit has been reduced to 12, only nine of which may be taken south of Mendocino County. Legal-size abalone must be tagged immediately. Abalone may only be taken using breath-hold techniques or shorepicking; scuba diving for abalone is strictly prohibited. Taking of abalone is not permitted south of the mouth of
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water from a ...
. A size minimum of measured across the shell is in place. A person may be in possession of only three abalone at any given time. As of 2017, abalone season is May to October, excluding July. Transportation of abalone may only legally occur while the abalone is still attached in the shell. Sale of sport-obtained abalone is illegal, including the shell. Only red abalone may be taken, as black, white, pink,
flat Flat or flats may refer to: Architecture * Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries Arts and entertainment * Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch * Flat (soldier), ...
, green, and
pinto Pinto is a Portuguese language, Portuguese, Spanish language, Spanish, Sephardi Jews, Jewish (Sephardic), and Italian language, Italian surname. It is a high-frequency surname in all List of countries and territories where Portuguese is an officia ...
abalone are protected by law. In 2018, The
California Fish and Game Commission The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), is a state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages and protect ...
closed recreational abalone season due to dramatically declining populations. That year, they extended the moratorium to last through April 2021. An abalone diver is normally equipped with a thick wetsuit, including a hood,
bootee A bootee (also bootie or booty) is a short soft sock or bootlike garment used for warmth or protection. Bootees for babies are usually thick and knitted, to keep the baby's feet warm. Dog booties for dogs such as sledge dogs in very cold Arctic ...
s, and gloves, and usually also a mask, snorkel,
weight belt A diving weighting system is ballast weight added to a diver or diving equipment to counteract excess buoyancy. They may be used by divers or on equipment such as diving bells, submersibles or camera housings. Divers wear diver weighting system ...
, abalone iron, and abalone gauge. Alternatively, the rock picker can feel underneath rocks at low tides for abalone. Abalone are mostly taken in depths from a few inches up to ; less common are freedivers who can work deeper than . Abalone are normally found on rocks near food sources such as kelp. An abalone iron is used to pry the abalone from the rock before it has time to fully clamp down. Divers dive from boats, kayaks, tube floats, or directly off the shore. The largest abalone recorded in California is , caught by John Pepper somewhere off the coast of San Mateo County in September 1993. The mollusc ''
Concholepas concholepas ''Concholepas concholepas'', the Chilean abalone, is a species of large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk. Despite the superficial resemblance, ''C. concholepas'' is not a true abalone (a species in the family Haliotidae), but a membe ...
'' is often sold in the United States under the name "Chilean abalone", though it is not an abalone, but a
muricid Muricidae is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks, commonly known as murex snails or rock snails. With about 1,600 living species, the Muricidae represent almost 10% of the Neoga ...
.


New Zealand

In New Zealand, abalone is called ''paua'' (, from the
Māori language Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...
). ''Haliotis iris'' (or blackfoot ''paua'') is the ubiquitous New Zealand ''paua'', the highly polished nacre of which is extremely popular as souvenirs with its striking blue, green, and purple iridescence. '' Haliotis australis'' and ''
Haliotis virginea ''Haliotis virginea'', Virgin pāua, is a species of edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones.Rosenberg, G. (2012). Haliotis virginea Gmelin, 1791. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at h ...
'' are also found in New Zealand waters, but are less popular than ''H. iris''. Like all New Zealand shellfish, recreational harvesting of ''paua'' does not require a permit provided catch limits, size restrictions, and seasonal and local restrictions set by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) are followed. The legal recreational daily limit is 10 per diver, with a minimum shell length of for ''H. iris'' and for ''H. australis''. In addition, no person may be in possession, even on land, of more than 20 ''paua'' or more than of ''paua'' meat at any one time. ''Paua'' can only be caught by free-diving; it is illegal to catch them using scuba gear. An extensive global black market exists in collecting and exporting abalone meat. This can be a particularly awkward problem where the right to harvest ''paua'' can be granted legally under
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
customary rights. When such permits to harvest are abused, it is frequently difficult to police. The limit is strictly enforced by roving Ministry for Primary Industries fishery officers with the backing of the New Zealand Police. Poaching is a major industry in New Zealand with many thousands being taken illegally, often undersized. Convictions have resulted in seizure of diving gear, boats, and motor vehicles and fines and in rare cases, imprisonment.


South Africa

The largest abalone in South Africa, ''
Haliotis midae ''Haliotis midae'', known commonly as the South African abalone or the perlemoen abalone, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones. Subspecies * ''Haliotis midae volcanius'' Patamak ...
'', occurs along roughly two-thirds of the country's coastline. Abalone-diving has been a recreational activity for many years, but stocks are currently being threatened by illegal commercial harvesting. In South Africa, all persons harvesting this shellfish need permits that are issued annually, and no abalone may be harvested using scuba gear. For the last few years, however, no permits have been issued for collecting abalone, but commercial harvesting still continues as does illegal collection by
syndicates A syndicate is a self-organizing group of individuals, companies, corporations or entities formed to transact some specific business, to pursue or promote a shared interest. Etymology The word ''syndicate'' comes from the French word ''syndicat ...
. In 2007, because of widespread poaching of abalone, the South African government listed abalone as an endangered species according to the CITES section III appendix, which requests member governments to monitor the trade in this species. This listing was removed from CITES in June 2010 by the South African government and South African abalone is no longer subject to CITES trade controls. Export permits are still required, however. The abalone meat from South Africa is prohibited for sale in the country to help reduce poaching; however, much of the illegally harvested meat is sold in Asian countries. As of early 2008, the wholesale price for abalone meat was approximately US$40.00 per kilogram. There is an active trade in the shells, which sell for more than US$1,400 per tonne.


Channel Islands, Brittany and Normandy

Ormers ('' Haliotis tuberculata'') are considered a delicacy in the British Channel Islands as well as in adjacent areas of France, and are pursued with great alacrity by the locals. This, and a recent lethal bacterial disease, has led to a dramatic depletion in numbers since the latter half of the 19th century, and "ormering" is now strictly regulated to preserve stocks. The gathering of ormers is now restricted to a number of 'ormering tides', from 1 January to 30 April, which occur on the full or new moon and two days following. No ormers may be taken from the beach that are under in shell length. Gatherers are not allowed to wear wetsuits or even put their heads underwater. Any breach of these laws is a criminal offence and can lead to a fine of up to £5,000 or six months in prison. The demand for ormers is such that they led to the world's first underwater arrest, when Mr. Kempthorne-Leigh of Guernsey was arrested by a police officer in full diving gear when illegally diving for ormers. File:AbaloneMeat.jpg, The raw meat of abalone File:Seeohr-Sashimi.jpg, Abalone sashimi File:Chineseabalonecuisine.jpg, Braised abalones File:Abalone & Asparagus, Stir-Fried with Black Bean Sauce (207804042).jpg, Abalones with asparagus File:Cantoneseabalone.jpg, Abalone ''bao yu'' File:Korean grilled abalone-Jeonbok gui-01.jpg, Grilled abalones File:Korean cuisine-Jeju Island-Obunjagi ttukbaegi-01.jpg, A Korean abalone stew File:Korean cuisine-Jeonbok hoe-01.jpg, Abalone ''
Hoe Hoe or HOE may refer to: * Hoe (food), a Korean dish of raw fish * Hoe (letter), a Georgian letter * Hoe (tool), a hand tool used in gardening and farming ** Hoe-farming, a term for primitive forms of agriculture * Backhoe, a piece of excavati ...
'' File:HK Food Chinese Seafood Dinner 鮑魚仔 Steamed Abalone with Mandarin orange peels.JPG, Abalone with mandarin orange peels. File:Abalone (dish) - in Macau.jpg, Abalone (dish) - in Macau


Decorative items

The highly iridescent inner nacre layer of the shell of abalone has traditionally been used as a decorative item, in jewelry, buttons, and as inlay in furniture and musical instruments, such as on
fret board The fingerboard (also known as a fretboard on fretted instruments) is an important component of most stringed instruments. It is a thin, long strip of material, usually wood, that is laminated to the front of the neck of an instrument. The stri ...
s and binding of guitars.


Indigenous use

Abalone has been an important staple in a number of Indigenous cultures around the world, specifically in Africa and on the Northwest American coast. The meat is a traditional food, and the shell is used to make ornaments; historically, the shells were also used as currency in some communities.


Threat of extinction

Abalones are one of the many classes of organism threatened with extinction due to overfishing and the acidification of oceans from
anthropogenic Anthropogenic ("human" + "generating") is an adjective that may refer to: * Anthropogeny, the study of the origins of humanity Counterintuitively, anthropogenic may also refer to things that have been generated by humans, as follows: * Human im ...
carbon dioxide, as reduced pH erodes their shells. In the 21st century, white, pink, and green abalone are on the United States federal endangered species list, and possible restoration sites have been proposed for the San Clemente Island and Santa Barbara Island areas. The possibility of farming abalone to be reintroduced into the wild has also been proposed, with these abalone having special tags to help track the population.


Species

The number of species that are recognized within the genus ''Haliotis'' has fluctuated over time, and depends on the source that is consulted. The number of recognized species range from 30 to 130. This list finds a compromise using the WoRMS database, plus some species that have been added, for a total of 57. The majority of abalone have not been rated for conservation status. Those that have been reviewed tend to show that the abalone in general is an animal that is declining in numbers, and will need protection throughout the globe. File:Ass’s ear abalone (Haliotis asinina) S01.jpg, A dorsal view of a live ass's ear abalone, ''
Haliotis asinina ''Haliotis asinina'', common name the ass's-ear abalone, is a fairly large species of sea snail, a tropical gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones, also known as ormers or paua. Both the common name and the scientific name a ...
'' File:Pinkabalone 300.jpg, The pink abalone, ''
Haliotis corrugata The pink abalone, scientific name ''Haliotis corrugata'', is a species of large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones.Oliver, A.P.H. (2004). ''Guide to Seashells of the World.'' Buffalo: Firefly ...
'' File:Haliotis cracherodii.JPG, The black abalone, ''
Haliotis cracherodii ''Haliotis cracherodii'', the black abalone, is a species of large edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones. This species is relatively small compared with most of the other abalone species from the ...
'' File:Blacklip abalone.jpg, Dorsal (left) and ventral (right) views of the blacklip abalone, ''
Haliotis rubra The blacklip abalone, ''Haliotis rubra'', is an Australian species of large, edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones.Bouchet, P. (2012). Haliotis rubra Leach, 1814. Accessed through: World Register of ...
'' File:Whiteabalone 300.jpg, The white abalone, ''
Haliotis sorenseni The white abalone, scientific name ''Haliotis sorenseni'', is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones.Rosenberg, G. (2014). Haliotis sorenseni. Accessed through: World Register of Marine ...
'' File:Haliotis varia f. dohrniana 001.jpg, A shell of ''
Haliotis varia ''Haliotis varia'', common name the variable abalone or the common ear shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones.Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Haliotis varia'' Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed throug ...
'' form ''dohrniana''


Synonyms


See also

* List of delicacies


Citations


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* * *


External links

*
Abalone: Species Diversity



Abalone biology

Conchology



book on crafting with Abalone Shell

Fisheries Western Australia – Abalone Fact Sheet



Oman’s Abalone Harvest


Pro abalone diver, Mallacoota, Victoria (1967)

Tathra NSW(1961), Abalone (1963)


Abalone Healing Properties
{{Authority control Commercial molluscs Extant Late Cretaceous first appearances Organic gemstones Mollusc common names Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus de:Seeohren ja:アワビ#人間との関わり zh:鮑魚