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Abalone (Haliotis) is a genus of marine gastropod molluscs with over 70 species worldwide. There are two species in Canada. The pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana), also known as the Japanese or northern ear shell, is found along the entire British Columbia coast. The northern green abalone (H. walallensis) is found only in the waters of the southern edge of British Columbia. This large (up to 12 cm), limpet-like snail prefers semiprotected waters between the low intertidal zone and 18 m depth.
Description
The abalone uses its powerful foot to fasten itself to rock surfaces. H. kamtschatkana is a gregarious species which grazes on drift and surface algae. Its ear-shaped shell has a wavy texture and bears, on its outer whorl, 4–5 respiratory pores, which also serve as exit ports for spawn and excreta. The shell's outer surface is mottled red and green. The blue-green iridescent surface of its inner pearly layer has made it popular with West Coast Indigenous peoples as a material for jewellery and inlays. The abalone's soft, muscular parts (tenderized and grilled as steak or ground into a bisque) are a choice gourmet food. Apart from humans, its other predators are sea stars and, occasionally, sea otters.
