Paua

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Paua

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Orthogastropoda
Superorder:	Vetigastropoda
Superfamily:	Haliotoidea
Family:	Haliotidae
Genus:	Haliotis

Species

Haliotis australis
Haliotis iris
Haliotis virginea

Paua or pāua is the Māori name given to a small group of monovalve molluscs endemic to New Zealand coastal waters. They belong to the family Haliotidae (genus Haliotis) of which there are approximately 130 species, usually known in the Northern Hemisphere as abalone.

There are three species of New Zealand paua;

Silver Paua, Haliotis australis
Paua, Haliotis iris
Virgin Paua, Haliotis virginea .

New Zealand's most well known paua species is Haliotis iris. It is also the most common, growing up to 18 cm in length.

Paua feed on seaweed and are commonly found in shallow coastal waters along rocky shorelines in depths of 1 to 15 m. They survive the strong tidal surges by clinging to rocks using their large muscular foot.

The shell of the paua is oval and the exterior is often covered with greyish incrustations. In contrast the interior of a Paua is an iridescent swirl of intense green, blue, purple, and sometimes pink colours, making it one of the world's most attractive shells.

The paua is iconic in New Zealand. Its black muscular foot is considered a delicacy, and the shell is frequently used in jewellery. To Māori, paua are recognised taonga, or treasure, esteemed both as kai moana (seafood) and as a valued resource for traditional and contemporary arts and crafts. Paua are frequently used to represent the eyes in Māori carvings and traditionally are associated with the stars, or whetu the eyes of ancestors that gaze down from the night sky.

Paua are gathered recreationally and commercially but strict catch limits are set for both - for recreational fishers this is 10 Paua per person, per day. The minimum legal size for caught Paua is 125mm. (The New Zealand Herald, May 30, 2006). Paua can only be caught by free diving. It is illegal to dive for paua using scuba equipment.