Donkey Ear Abalone

The Donkey Ear Abalone is a low-profile marine grazer with a broad muscular foot and a shell shaped quite differently from a typical aquarium snail. It is most likely to be seen moving across hard surfaces after the aquarium lights dim.

Supply mature rockwork with accessible algae and shaded resting places. In an aquarium where natural grazing becomes scarce, provide suitable marine seaweed or another appropriate algae-based food. A clean-looking reef can still be too food-poor to sustain an additional grazer.

Abalone grip surfaces firmly, so never pry an attached animal loose by force. Allow it to release or move onto a transferable support. Maintain steady salinity and water chemistry that supports shell growth, and avoid predators capable of reaching beneath its shell.