An abalone is a kind of sea snail useful for its meat and colorful shell. It is a kind of sea snail that can be found living in most mild seas. In many places abalones are known as “ear shells” because their single flattened shell somewhat resembles a human ear.
The abalone spends most of its life clinging to submerged rocks with its flat muscular foot. It can fasten itself to a rock so tightly that only a knife can pry it loose. It feeds on the plants that it can scrape off the rocks with its rasplike tongue. Its hard shell, which may grow from a few inches to nearly a foot long, protects the abalone’s soft body.
Abalone steak, the snail’s large foot, is a popular seafood dish in many countries. The pearly inner lining of the shell, called “mother-of-pearl,” is used in making buttons and other ornaments. The abalone builds its shell out of lime from the water. The shell grows as the abalone grows.
Reference: Dick Rogers
Photo courtesy: ocean link island
