Haliotis asinina; Print; Haliotis asinina; common name the ass's-ear abalone; is a fairly large species of sea snail; a tropical gastropod mollusk in the family Haliotidae; the abalones; also known as ormers or paua. Both the common name and the scientific name are based on the shape of the shell; which is long; narrow and curved; resembling the shape of a donkey's ear.