Living abalone in tank showing epipodium and tentacles, anterior end to the right. Abalone (/ˈæbəloʊni/ ⓘ or /ˌæbəˈloʊni/; via Spanish abulón, from Rumsen aulón) is a common name for any small to very large marine gastropod mollusc in the family Haliotidae, which once contained six subgenera but now contains only one genus, Haliotis.[1] Other common names are ear shells, sea ears, and, now rarely,