‘The pāua that clings to the sea’: a new species of abalone found only in waters off a remote NZ island chain

Photo courtesy: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, CC BY-SA. Retrieved from the conversation.com.

It has long been suspected that a small pāua (known as abalone, ormers or ear-shells overseas) found around a remote island chain north of Aotearoa New Zealand differs from all other pāua.

Our earlier genetic research, using pioneering methods to extract ancient DNA from shells, provided the extra evidence needed.

We could now formally name and describe the new species of pāua from the Three Kings Islands/Manawatāwhi.

The scientific name of the Manawatāwhi pāua, Haliotis pirimoana, was proposed by Ngāti Kuri, who hold historic and territorial rights over the islands (mana i te whenua). Its name means “the pāua that clings to the sea”.

Pāua live on shallow reefs around the world, where they graze on algae. Globally, there are about 70 pāua species, ranging from “button” to “beret” in size.

Globally, few wild-caught abalone fisheries remain due to overfishing and a “withering disease” that has, fortunately, not been detected in Aotearoa New Zealand.