@pearlrights a fusion for Black abalone and Austral Abalones fusion
HALIOTIS IRIS
which the requirements for them, via lark is
-a spiked headband and a choker
-sparkly flecks in her hair like black abalone has probably some pretty face freckles that look like she got some glitter slapped on her face but not too many. depends on if they look good at the end
-pastel goth
so i knew i had to make them hot.
which is quite a departure from my own idea of what i thought austral and BA’s fusion COULD be, maybe one day you all will see that
Blackfoot paua (rainbow abalone) shell, New Zealand
There are more than 100 abalone species (small sea creatures you can eat) in oceans around the world, but the blackfoot paua (also known as rainbow abalone) is one of the largest and is found only in New Zealand's waters. The Indigenous Māori people have long prized its black flesh as a delicacy and now others are discovering its distinct flavour, particularly in Asia, where the blackfoot paua attracts big prices at seafood markets. After harvesting the abalone meat, the Māori use the colourful shells like the one in our photo as decorations in traditional and contemporary arts and crafts.
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Today on Bing
October 10, 2021
A shell of many colors
We could perhaps fool you and claim you're viewing a long-lost Jackson Pollock canvas, but it was Mother Nature who painted this blackfoot paua (aka rainbow abalone) shell. And modern art it ain't: Fossils from similar marine gastropods date back at least 65 million years.
There are more than 100 abalone species in oceans around the world, but the blackfoot paua is one of the largest and is found only in New Zealand's waters. The Indigenous Māori people have long prized its black flesh as a delicacy and now others are discovering its distinct flavor, particularly in Asia, where the blackfoot paua fetches astronomical prices at seafood markets. After harvesting the abalone meat, the Māori use the colorful shells as decorations in traditional and contemporary arts and crafts. Paua power!
*
Today on Bing
October 10, 2021
A shell of many colours
We could perhaps fool you and claim you're viewing a long-lost Jackson Pollock canvas, but it was Mother Nature who painted this blackfoot paua (aka rainbow abalone) shell. And modern art it ain't: Fossils from similar marine gastropods date back at least 65 million years.
There are more than 100 abalone species in oceans around the world, but the blackfoot paua is one of the largest and is found only in New Zealand's waters. The Indigenous Māori people have long prized its black flesh as a delicacy and now others are discovering its distinct flavour, particularly in Asia, where the blackfoot paua fetches astronomical prices at seafood markets. After harvesting the abalone meat, the Māori use the colourful shells as decorations in traditional and contemporary arts and crafts. Paua power!
*
Today on Bing
10 October 2021
A shell of many colours
This may look a little like a long-lost Jackson Pollock canvas, but it was Mother Nature who painted this blackfoot paua (aka rainbow abalone) shell. And modern art it ain't: Fossils from similar marine gastropods date back at least 65 million years.
There are more than 100 abalone species in oceans around the world, but the blackfoot paua is one of the largest and is found only in New Zealand's waters. The Indigenous Māori people have long prized its black flesh as a delicacy and now others are discovering its distinct flavour, particularly in Asia, where the blackfoot paua fetches astronomical prices at seafood markets. After harvesting the abalone meat, the Māori use the colourful shells as decorations in traditional and contemporary arts and crafts. Paua power!
Endemic to New Zealand waters, this sea snail is a member of the abalone family. Not only was it a a valuable food source for the early Māori, they also used the vibrant shell for jewellery, decoration, and even fishing lures. Even to this day they are a highly monitored and controlled resource for both the meat and shell.
Where other species of abalone show the more typical mother of pearl iridescence and colour, it’s not hard to see why the Blackfoot Pāua shell is so prized. However the polished shells found in many souvenir shops are not quite how they look in nature. The outside of the shell is a dark grey/brown colour, helping to camouflage against the rocks these powerful molluscs cling to. Once in human hands, this darker layer is filed off to reveal the striking blues and greens to sometimes reds and purples beneath.
The iridescence of shells like these is due to the structure of the aragonite they are made from. The aragonite is produced as layers of hexagonal plates with organic material in among the layers. This material is called nacre. The thickness of the aragonite plates (~0.5 microns) in the nacre is close to that of the wavelengths of visible light, causing different interactions with different wavelengths of light at different angles, resulting in these lustres and colours. What separates the beauty of Blackfoot Pāua shell from other abalone shells is the layers of organic proteins, conchiolin. These appear as the dark irregular boundaries across the shell. This alternation between nacre and conchiolin means the nacre layers do not get too thick.
