Key:  Family Haliotidae (Abalones)

Phylum Mollusca
 Class Gastropoda
  Subclass Prosobranchia
   Order Archaegastropoda
     Suborder Pleurotomariina

Taken primarily from  Kozloff, 1987, 1996 p. 199 (Copyright 1987, 1996, University of Washington Press.  Used in this web page by permission of University of Washington Press)
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1a  Exterior of shell smooth, bluish black; holes circular and flush with the surface (length up to about 15 cm; not likely to be found north of Oregon) Haliotis cracherodii
1b Exterior of shell lumpy, wavy, or with spiral ridges crossed by raised striations; reddish (sometimes with mottling); holes oval and slightly raised 2
2a Exterior of shell with low spiral ridges crossed by closely spaced, raised striations (without a muscle scar; reddish, with pale green, blue, or nearly white mottling; length up to about 15 cm, but rarely greater than 12 cm; not likely to be found north of Oregon) Haliotis walallensis
2b Exterior of shell lumpy or wavy 3
3a Shell thin, without an obvious muscle scar; length up to about 15 cm Haliotis kamtschatkana
3b Shell thick, with a prominent muscle scar; length to about 30 cm (not likely to be found north of Oregon) Haliotis rufescens



Taxonomic Levels Represented in This Key:
 Haliotis cracherodii
 Haliotis kamtschatkana
 Haliotis rufescens
 Haliotis walallensis


Page created by Dave Cowles, 2005
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