Abalone (The body whorl is divided into upper and lower parts by spiral ribs, the upper part is wide and sloped, the lower part is narrow and small, the upper foot covers the lower foot, and the edge has numerous small tentacles.)

Goto Four-Head Abalone from Japan (oval, dark brown flesh, dry and hard texture)

Fresh Abalone

Fake Abalone (South American Conch)

Fake Abalone (Conch)

Fake Abalone (Artificial Abalone made from fish paste)

Fake Abalone Slices

【Naming】

Abalone

 【Source】

Collected Notes on the Materia Medica

 【Common Usage Level】

E

 【Origin】

It is the flesh of the following abalone species: Haliotis diversicolor Reeve (Small Abalone), Haliotis gigantea discus Reeve (Giant Abalone), or Haliotis ovina Gmelin (Sheep’s Abalone or Taiwan Shi Jue Ming).

 【Characteristics】

1. Small Abalone: The body has a hard, thick shell, which is oval in shape. The spire is very small, with 3 whorls and shallow sutures; the body whorl is very wide, occupying almost the entire shell; the apex is blunt, slightly higher than the surface of the body whorl; from the middle of the 2nd whorl to the edge of the body whorl, there are more than 30 protrusions and small holes in a row, the protrusions at the front end are small and inconspicuous, the 8-9 at the end are very large, and the openings are connected to the interior. The body whorl is divided into upper and lower parts by the spiral ribs formed by the protrusions and small holes. The upper part is wider, forming a sloping surface; the lower part is narrow, and the front end is slightly perpendicular to the upper part; the foot is divided into upper and lower parts, the upper foot covers the lower foot, and the edge has numerous small tentacles that extend from the small holes on the shell. Individual oval, flesh dark brown, dry and hard texture.
2. Giant Abalone: The shell is large, short and wide, and ear-shaped. The shell surface often has attached lime worms and bryozoans. The shell opening is oval, the outer lip is thin, the edge is blade-shaped, and the inner lip is thickened, extending from the inner surface of the shell opening to form a sheet-like covering edge that is wider at the upper end and narrower at the base. Large oval, flesh brown, dry and hard texture.
3. Sheep’s Abalone: Nearly round, the shell is low, flat, wide and short. About 4 whorls. The suture is obvious, but not deep. From the second whorl to the end of the body whorl, the shell surface has more than 20 very prominent protrusions in a row, which are respiratory pore rows, of which 4-5 openings near the shell opening are tubular, and the rest are all blind. The shell surface is divided into two parts by the respiratory pore row; the right part is wide, the shell surface is extremely uneven, the spiral ribs are not obvious, and the left part is narrow, with only spiral ribs on the surface. The shell opening is oval, and the outer lip is thin; the inner lip is wide. Large and round, flesh dark brown, dry and hard texture.

 【Identification】

Among the above species, the best are those that are large, clean, dry, and have a brownish-brown surface.

 【Chapter】

Invertebrates