The inserted pictures belong to Omani abalone, Haliotis mariae. In the absence of external signs of sexual dimorphism for the shell structure, the sexing of abalone cannot be done based on the external differentiation and is only determined through the visual inspection of gonads which could be seen if the foot and mantle are forced away from the right side. Male gonads tend to be from white to creamy beige in color while females’ ovaries are usually darker; greyish-green. In spent females, the color of gonads often fades.
