Haliotis (Paua) iris Gmelin, 1791 Haliotis iris, common name pāua, blackfoot pāua or rainbow abalone, is a species of edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae, the abalone.

These sea snails often form large clusters in the sub-littoral zone on open, exposed coasts, where drift seaweed accumulates and there is good water movement.

[citation needed] Pāua belong to the molluscan genus Haliotis, more commonly known as abalone.

The name Haliotis derives from Greek and means sea ear, reflecting the ear-like shape of the abalone shell.

The outer surface is pale brown or light olive-green, pitted as if by the intersection of two series of low oblique folds.

The inside of the spire is brilliantly pearly, prussian blue and green predominating, but with reflections also of purple, orange and a little red.