Claudio Contreras / Pink abalone (Haliotis corrugata) shell detail, Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, January

Claudio Contreras / Pink abalone (Haliotis corrugata) shell detail, Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, January

Claudio Contreras / Pink abalone (Haliotis corrugata) shell detail, Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, January

Sergio Hanquet / Green ormer (Haliotis tuberculata coccinea) on sea floor. Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Sergio Hanquet / Green ormer (Haliotis tuberculata coccinea) on sea floor. Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Sergio Hanquet / Green ormer (Haliotis tuberculata coccinea). Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Sergio Hanquet / Green ormer (Haliotis tuberculata coccinea). Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Sergio Hanquet / Green ormer (Haliotis tuberculata coccinea). Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Paul D Stewart / Ammonite (Cosmoceras proniae) from Jurrasic period, 165 million years ago, from Russia. Shown ithin the shell of modern Abalone (Haliotis sp.) This illustrates the preservation in the ammonite fossil...

Adrian Davies / Mother of Pearl, inside of Ormer shell (Haliotis)

Ingo Arndt / Green Abalone (Haliotis fulgens) shell interior from Baja California, Collection Meeresmuseum Ozeania, Riedenburg, Germany

Ingo Arndt / Blood-spotted Abalone (Haliotis spadicea) shell, Meeresmuseum Ozeania, Riedenburg, Germany

Sue Daly / Ormer (Haliotis tuberculata) English Channel, off the coast of Sark, Channel islands, July

Sue Daly / Ormers (Haliotis tuberculata) exposed at low tide, English Channel, off the coast of Sark, Channel Islands, March

Sue Daly / Ormers (Haliotis tuberculata) exposed at low tide, English Channel, off the coast of Sark, Channel Islands, March

Sue Daly / Ormers (Haliotis tuberculata) exposed at low tide, English Channel, off the coast of Sark, Channel Islands, March

Sue Daly / Ormer (Haliotis tuberculata) English Channel, off the coast of Sark, Channel islands, April

Christophe Courteau / Green ormer feeding underwater {Haliotis tuberculata} Brittany France

Christophe Courteau / Green ormer feeding underwater {Haliotis tuberculata} Brittany France

Jeff Rotman / Red Abalone (Haliotis rufescens) being held out of water. California, USA, Pacific Ocean. Model released.

LYNN M. STONE / Shell of Red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) in sand, Santa Barbara, California, USA

LYNN M. STONE / Close up view of Red abalone shell (Haliotis rufescens) photo shows three apertures / holes that living abalone had used for water exchange and the shell reveals the mother of pearl, or nacre, surface...

Sue Daly / Ormer (Haliotis tuberculata). Channel Islands, UK, July.

Sue Daly / Ormer (Haliotis tuberculata). Channel Islands, UK, August.

LYNN M. STONE / Red Abalone (Haliotis rufescens) shell interior showing nacreous mother of pearl. Santa Barbara, California, USA, February.

LYNN M. STONE / Red Abalone (Haliotis rufescens) shell interior showing nacreous mother of pearl. Santa Barbara, California, USA, February.

LYNN M. STONE / Red Abalone (Haliotis rufescens) shell interior showing nacreous mother of pearl. Santa Barbara, California, USA, February.

LYNN M. STONE / Close-up view of Red Abalone (Haliotis rufescens) shell. California, USA, February.

LYNN M. STONE / Close-up view of Red Abalone (Haliotis rufescens) shell. California, USA, February.

LYNN M. STONE / A Red Abalone (Haliotis rufescens) shell. California, USA, February.

Fred Bavendam / Abalone (Haliotis sp) removed from rock by diver, Channel Islands, California

Philippe Clement / Abalone / Common ormer / Lamellose ormer (Haliotis lamellosa) shell, Mediterranean, France

Philippe Clement / Abalone / Common ormer / Lamellose ormer (Haliotis lamellosa) shell on beach, Mediterranean, France

Philippe Clement / Abalone / Common ormer / Lamellose ormer (Haliotis lamellosa) shell, Mediterranean, France

Lynda Harper / Rainbow Abalone (Haliotis iris), inside shell, New Zealand

Sue Daly / Green ormer {Haliotis tubercluata} feeding, St Ouens, Jersey, Channel Isles, UK

Konrad Wothe / Abalone (Haliotis sp) shell in sand

Doug Perrine / Two Ass's ear abalones {Haliotis asinina} Mabul Island, Borneo, Malaysia

Simon Colmer / Close up of Abalone shell (Haliotis sp) Mother of pearl

Norbert Wu / Red Abalone (Haliotis rufescens) with mantle extended, eats algae, southern California

Flip Nicklin / Northern Abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) underwater, Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island, Canada

Flip Nicklin / Abalone (Haliotis sp) underwater

Gary Bell/ Oceanwide / Blacklip Abalone (Haliotis rubra) group, Governor Island Marine Reserve, Bicheno, Tasmania, Australia

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Abalone (Haliotis sp) eyes, native worldwide

Doug Wechsler / Pinto abalone (Haliotis Kamtschatkana), Washington, USA

Sue Daly / Green ormer feeding {Haliotis tubercluata} Jersey, Channel Isles

Claudio Contreras / Green abalone (Haliotis fulgens) ready to be exported from island, Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, April

Claudio Contreras / Green abalone (Haliotis fulgens) ready to be exported from island, Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, off the coast of Baja California, Mexico, April

David Hall / Northern abalone (Haliotis kamschatkana), Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September. Overharvesting in many areas has drastically reduced the population of this specie...