Template:POTD/2023-09-18
Haliotis kamtschatkana, also known as the northern abalone or pinto abalone, is a species of large sea snail in the family Haliotidae, the abalones. It is found in kelp beds and in rocky areas in the northeast Pacific Ocean, from Salisbury Sound, Alaska along the coasts of Canada and the United States to Baja California, Mexico. Its distribution also includes Korea. The pinto abalone has an adult shell size of approximately 8 cm (3.1 in) but can occasionally grow as large as 15 cm (5.9 in). The rather thin shell is flattened and ear-shaped. The surface is covered with uneven spiral cords, often almost obsolete, and strongly elevated undulations or lumps. This image shows five views of a H. kamtschatkana shell found in Baja California.Photograph credit: H. Zell