Haliotis virginea

Haliotis virginea
External view of a shell of Haliotis virginea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Clade: Vetigastropoda
Superfamily: Haliotoidea
Family: Haliotidae
Genus: Haliotis
Species: H. virginea
Binomial name
Haliotis virginea
Gmelin, 1791
Synonyms
  • Haliotis marmorata Linnaeus, 1758
  • Haliotis (Haliotis) gibba Philippi, R.A., 1846
  • Haliotis (Haliotis) marmorata Reeve, L.A., 1846 (junior homonym)
  • Haliotis (Haliotis) subvirginea Weinkauff, H.C., 1883
  • Haliotis virginea virginea Gmelin, 1791 · accepted, alternate representation
  • Haliotis (Paua) virginea Gmelin, 1791

Haliotis virginea, Virgin Paua, is a species of edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones.[1]

Subspecies
External view of a shell
Internal view of a shell

Description

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

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to New Zealand.

Human use

Main article: Paua

Haliotis virginea and other two Haliotis species are known as "paua" in New Zealand and are used as food source.

References

  1. Rosenberg, G. (2012). Haliotis virginea Gmelin, 1791. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=390555 on 2013-02-06
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