Bivalves
Family Veneridae
Click on photo to enlarge. Scale line in photo equals 1cm unless otherwise specified.
* Species which are commonly encountered on the beach.
Compsomyax subdiaphana(Carpenter, 1864)Milky Pacific Venus
Humilaria kennerleyi (Reeve, 1863)Kennerley's Venus
basketweave pattern copied by Native Americans
photographed in an
aquarium can become
ridged in some habitats
photographed in a tidepool
Callithaca tenerrima (Carpenter, 1857)Thin-shell Littleneck *
(previous name - Protothaca tenerrima)
Nutricola lordi (W.Baird, 1863)Lord Dwarf-Venus
Nutricola tantilla (Gould, 1853)Purple Dwarf-Venus
Leukoma staminea (Conrad, 1837)
Pacific Littleneck Clam *
(previous name - Protothaca staminea)
Paphia restorationensis Frizzell, 1930
This species is under study. It is known that Paphia is an outdated classification for it, but it is uncertain yet where this rare species falls
in the taxonomic order. We had previously grouped it with Protothaca, but that nomenclature is no longer valid for our local species.
photographed in a
tidepool
Venerupis philippinarum (A.Adams & Reeve, 1850)Japanese Littleneck Clam or Manila Clam *
This page last revised: 3-14-2012
Comparison of the large intertidal Venus Clams of the Northwest
shown to scale at average adult size
This page is still under construction.
Please excuse any missing content.
