abalone

abalone
/ab'euh loh"nee/, n.
a large mollusk of the genus Haliotis, having a bowllike shell bearing a row of respiratory holes, the flesh of which is used for food and the shell for ornament and as a source of mother-of-pearl.
[1840-50, Amer.; taken as sing. of California Sp abulones, pl. of ABULÓN, aulón < a word in Rumsen, a Costanoan language formerly spoken at Monterey, California]

* * *

Any of several marine snail species (genus Haliotis, family Haliotidae), found in warm seas worldwide.

The outer surface of the single shell has a row of small holes, most of which fill in as the animal grows; some remain open as outlets for waste products. Abalones range from 4 to 10 in. (10–25 cm) across and up to 3 in. (8 cm) deep. The largest is the 12 in. (30 cm) abalone (H. rufescens). The shell's lustrous, iridescent interior is used in ornaments, and the large muscular foot is eaten as a delicacy. Commercial abalone fisheries exist in California, Mexico, Japan, and South Africa.

Abalone (Haliotis)

Jacques Six

* * *

▪ marine snail
 any of several marine snails of the subclass Prosobranchia (class Gastropoda) constituting the genus Haliotis and family Haliotidae, in which the shell has a row of holes on its outer surface. Abalones are found in warm seas worldwide. The dishlike shell is perforated near one edge by a single row of small holes that become progressively filled during the animal's growth; the last five to nine holes remain open to serve as outlets for the snail's waste products. Depending on the species, abalones range from 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 inches) across and up to 7.5 cm in depth. The shell's lustrous, iridescent interior is used in the manufacture of ornaments. The large muscular foot of the abalone is eaten as a delicacy in several countries. Commercial fisheries for abalones exist in California, Mexico, Japan, and South Africa. About 50 species have been described. The largest abalone is the 30-centimetre red abalone (H. rufescens) of the western coast of the United States. H. rufescens and several other species are raised commercially in abalone “farms,” particularly in Australia, China, Japan, and along the western coast of the United States.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • abalone — [ abalɔn ] n. m. • 1966; mot angl. amér. ♦ Zool. Ormeau (2). « des huîtres perlières et des abalones dont la coquille était jadis très prisée » (Perec). ● abalone nom masculin (mot anglais) Autre nom de l haliotide. ⇒ABALONE, subst. masc. ZOOL.,… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Abalone — steht für: Seeohren, große Seeschnecken aus der Familie der Haliotidae Abalone (Spiel), ein Brettspiel Siehe auch:  Wiktionary: Abalone – Bedeutungserklärungen, Wortherkunft, Synonyme, Übersetzungen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • abalone — (n.) 1850, American English, from Sp. abulon from Costanoan (a California coastal Indian language family) aluan red abalone …   Etymology dictionary

  • Abalone — Ab a*lo ne ([a^]b [.a]*l[=o] n[ e]), n. (Zo[ o]l.) A univalve mollusk of the genus {Haliotis}. The shell is lined with mother of pearl, and used for ornamental purposes; the sea ear. Several large species are found on the coast of California,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • abalone — ☆ abalone [ab΄ə lō′nē ] n. [Calif. MexSp aulón < Costanoan (a Penutian language) aulun] any of a family (Haliotidae) of edible gastropod sea mollusks with an oval, somewhat spiral shell perforated near the edge and lined with mother of pearl …   English World dictionary

  • Abalone — For board game, see Abalone (board game). Abelone redirects here. For the wine grape that is also known as Abelone, see Chasselas. Abalone Living abalone in tank showing epipodium and tentacles, anterior end to the right …   Wikipedia

  • Abalone — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. L’abalone est le nom anglais de l’haliotis (ou ormeau), mollusque marin. L Abalone est un jeu de société créé en 1988. L Abalone est l’adaptation… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • abalone — UK [ˌæbəˈləʊnɪ] / US [ˌæbəˈloʊnɪ] noun [countable/uncountable] Word forms abalone : singular abalone plural abalones a shellfish that can be eaten as food. Its shell contains mother of pearl …   English dictionary

  • Abalone — Aba|lo|ne, die; , n [engl. abalone, zu gleichbed. span. (nordamerik.) abulones, Pl. von: abulón, aus einer Indianerspr. des südöstl. Nordamerika] (Gastron.): eine essbare Meeresschnecke …   Universal-Lexikon

  • abalone — [[t]æbəlo͟ʊni[/t]] abalones N VAR Abalone is a shellfish that you can eat and that has a shiny substance called mother of pearl inside its shell …   English dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”