Key:  Family Haliotidae (Abalones)

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