Kerry Walton with paua (IMAGE) University of Otago Caption PhD candidate Kerry Walton holds shells from each of the three paua/abalone species from mainland New Zealand. The smallest of the shells, an adult Haliotis virginea (virgin paua), was the focus species of his study. Credit UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO Usage Restrictions None License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.