This gorgeous gold abalone measures 6 inches long, 4.5inches wide and weighs .24 pounds. It is hand polished. The haliotis midae species is a marine mollusc originating from South Africa and is found in coastal waters from St Helena Bay on the West Coast to Port St Johns on the East Coast. The largest abalone in South Africa, the Perlemoen, Haliotis midae, occurs along approximately two-thirds of the country’s coastline. The shell of abalones has a convex, rounded to oval shape, and the shell may be highly arched or very flattened. The shell is ear shaped with two to three whorls. The last one aeriform such that the shell resembles an "ear", giving rise to the common name ‘ear-shell’. The body whorl has a series of holes near the anterior margin, that are in fact respiratory pores that are used for the escape of water from the gills. There are four to ten depending on the species. There is no operculum. This shell has been polished to reveal the inner nacre of mother of pearl, and displays many iridescent colors, the most predominant color being gold. |
