what is abalone

Abalone is a common name for any of a group of small to very large marine gastropod mollusks in the family Haliotidae. They are also known as ear shells, sea ears, and muttonfish or muttonshells in parts of Australia, ormer in the UK, perlemoen in South Africa, and paua in New Zealand. Abalones are univalve snails that live in coastal saltwater and range in size from 4 to 10 inches. They have a single shell on top and use a large foot to cling to rocks and eat algae. The abalone shell is flat and spiral-shaped with several small holes around the edges, and the interior of the shell is an iridescent mother of pearl. Abalones are found worldwide, and there are about 50 different individual species. They are a culinary delicacy and are considered among the worlds most expensive seafood. Abalone can be eaten raw or added to other dishes, and it is often cut into thick steaks and pan-fried.