Haliotis virginea

Haliotis virginea, Virgin pāua, is a species of edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalones.

Description
The size of the shell varies between 30 mm and 75 mm.

Subspecies
DNA extracted from H. virginae shells in museums showed three main population divisions, inhabiting the Three Kings Islands; the Chatham, Auckland, and Antipodes Islands; and mainland New Zealand (as well as Campbell Island). These three clades do not correspond to the subspecies recognised above.
 * Haliotis virginea crispata Gould, 1847
 * Haliotis virginea huttoni Filhol, 1880
 * Haliotis virginea morioria Powell, 1938
 * Haliotis virginea stewartae Jones & Owen, 2004

Distribution
This marine species is endemic to New Zealand.

Human use
Haliotis virginea and two other Haliotis species are known as "pāua" in New Zealand and are a restricted food source.