Close up photography of a paua shell
New Zealand's most well known paua species is Haliotis iris. It is also the most common, growing up to 18 cm in length. Paua feed on seaweed and are commonly found in shallow coastal waters along rocky shorelines in depths of 1 to 15 m. They survive the strong tidal surges by clinging to rocks using their large muscular foot. The shell of the paua is oval and the exterior is often covered with greyish incrustations. In contrast the interior of a Paua is an iridescent swirl of intense green, blue, purple, and sometimes pink colours, making it one of the world's most attractive paua is iconic in New Zealand. Its black muscular foot is considered a delicacy, and the shell is frequently used in jewellery. To Māori, paua are recognised taonga, or treasure, esteemed both as kai moana (seafood) and as a valued resource for traditional and contemporary arts and crafts. Paua are frequently used to represent the eyes in Māori carvings and traditionally are associated with the stars, or whetu the eyes of ancestors that gaze down from the night sky. Paua are gathered recreationally and commercially but strict catch limits are set for both - for recreational fishers this is 10 Paua per person, per day. The minimum legal size for caught Paua is 125mm. (The New Zealand Herald, May 30, 2006). Paua can only be caught by free diving. It is illegal to dive for paua using scuba equipment.
Size: 5120px × 5825px
Location: NZ
Photo credit: © MOB IMAGES / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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