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Pink abalone
Abalone are marine molluscs with a worldwide distribution. They graze on seaweed and are commercially important, being both farmed and harvested from the wild. However, by far the most striking thing about these creatures is the stunning interior of the shell.
This iridescent sheen is known as ‘nacre’, or perhaps more familiarly ‘mother-of pearl’. In common with other molluscs like oysters, topshells and pearl mussels, abalone continuously secrete nacre throughout their lifetime, depositing it on the inner shell. The nacre layers also protect the mollusc, enclosing irritants and debris and resulting in pearl formation. Pearls can be either free within the molluscan mantle or else attached to the shell, forming what is known as a blister pearl.