Thermal stress in abalone can significantly impact farms and result in lower growth rates, lower-quality products, higher feed conversion ratios, outbreaks of opportunistic pathogens, and even mass mortalities. Numerous studies conducted on temperate species indicate that there appears to be a genetic basis for resilience and highlight genes that are differentially expressed under heat stress. However, tropical species, which can tolerate higher temperatures, have been overlooked. Here, we present the first transcriptomic study of a tropical abalone species (Haliotis asinina) experiencing heat stress. Using manipulative experiments and RNA-seq data from Illumina, we performed gene expression analysis to study differences between naive and heat-stressed individuals. We also present a meta-analysis of publicly available transcriptomic studies (RNA-seq) done on various abalone species under heat stress. This meta-analysis defines the core set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were significant in their expression during heat stress across the Haliotidae family. Our findings suggest that Heat Shock Protein (HSP) genes and genes associated with protein folding and processing, such as the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System (UPS), are key elements in the core response to heat stress in abalone. Ultimately, findings from this study will aid aquaculture through genetic-based breeding programs and possible manipulations to improve resilience.