Haliotis virginea

Haliotis virginea, Virgin pāua, is a species of edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalone.

Description

The size of the shell varies between 30 mm and 75 mm.

Subspecies

Haliotis virginea crispata Gould, 1847Haliotis virginea huttoni Filhol, 1880Haliotis virginea morioria Powell, 1938Haliotis virginea stewartae Jones & Owen, 2004
DNA extracted from H. virginae shells in museums showed three main population divisions, inhabiting the Manawatāwhi / [Three Kings Islands|Three Kings Islands]; the Chatham, Auckland, and Antipodes Islands; and mainland New Zealand. These three clades do not correspond to the subspecies recognised above.

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to New Zealand.

Human use

Haliotis virginea and three other Haliotis species are known as "pāua" in New Zealand and are a restricted food source.