Abalone is a kind of marine shellfish, belonging to the Haliotidae family of Mollusca and Gastropoda. Abalone is characterized by a flat, often colorful shell with a pearlescent interior and a row of breathing holes around the edge of the shell.
Abalone usually inhabit cooler waters, often clinging to rocks. They move primarily by clinging to hard surfaces with their flat feet, feeding on seaweed and other tiny marine plants. Abalone is regarded as a delicacy all over the world because of its delicious taste and high nutritional value. Especially in Chinese and Japanese cuisine, abalone is a very popular and precious ingredient. Due to overfishing and habitat destruction, wild populations of some abalone species have become so rare that they are listed as endangered.
