Paua is the Maori name given to a large edible shelled sea snail found on the coast of New Zealand. It belongs to the sealife family Haliotidae (genus Haliotis). Maori recognise Paua as taonga, or treasure, and shellfish is valued both as kai moana (seafood) and as a resource for traditional and contemporary arts and crafts. Paua shell is frequently used to represent the eyes in Maori carvings around the Marae. |
