perlemoen
/ˌpəːləˈmʊn
/noun (plural same) South African
An abalone.As mentioned in your article, mussels, cockles and perlemoen were in abundance....
- There appeared to be ‘quite’ an operation being conducted in the house because the alleged poachers even had a scale to weigh the perlemoen.
- The illegal perlemoen trade is a lucrative business, with an estimated 150 poachers operating in the city alone.
Origin
Afrikaans, from obsolete perlemoer 'mother of pearl' (referring to the pearlized layer inside the shell).