Ormer

The ormer (Haliotis tuberculata) is a species of sea snail in the abalone family Haliotidae, with a flattened, oval, ear-shaped spiral shell showing a mottled exterior and a thick inner layer of iridescent mother-of-pearl; a curving row of respiratory apertures runs along its lower margin. Its shell reaches up to 10 centimeters long and 6.5 centimeters wide. It lives on rocky shores in European waters from the Mediterranean Sea north to the Channel Islands, and also occurs through Macaronesia and West Africa in the Atlantic. It grazes on algae, especially sea lettuce, and breeds in summer by external fertilization. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with populations declining from overfishing for food.