• Veneridae: The family Veneridae has over 400 living species. It is one of the most colorful of the bivalve groups.
• Beach Assessment Clam Identification Key for Washingtom State

• Callista chione
  (Linnaeus, 1758)

Smooth callista. Hard clam

Cytherea chione (Linnaeus, 1758)
Meretrix chione (Linnaeus, 1758)

• Chamelea gallina
  (Linnaeus, 1758)

Striped come

Come gallina Linnaeus, 1758
Come striatula (da Costa, 1778)

• Circomphalus casinus (Linnaeus, 1758)

• Cyclina sinensis (Gmelin, 1791)

Chinese Dosinia, Cyclina sinensis

• Dosinia exoleta (Linnaeus, 1758)

Mature dosinia

• Dosinia lupinus (Linnaeus, 1758)

• Macrocallista nimbosa
• (Lightfoot, 1786)

• Megapitaria aurantiaca
• (Sowerby, 1831)

• Megapitaria squalida
  
• (Sowerby 1835)

Mexican Chocolate clam

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• The Hardshell Clam is are rarely sold by the name "hardshell" or "quahog," but instead are sold by names reflecting size:
  • Littlenecks --1 to 2 inches; the most tender, most expensive and most sought-after . they are 2 to 3 years old. Enjoy them raw on the halfshell, fried or steamed. In soup, add minced clams at the simmer stage, steep 5 minutes and serve
  • Cherrystones -- 2 to 3 inches; often eaten raw. They are 5 to 6 years old. They are sometimes eaten raw but more often are broiled, chopped for chowder or baked in dishes like clams casino.
  • Topnecks -- 3 to 31/2 inches; They are usually used for stuffed clams or used in chowders, clam cakes and similar dishes.
  • Chowder clams -- wider than 31/2 inches; always eaten cooked; they can be 30 years old
• This is the most valuable U.S. clam species, sold mostly live in bags.
• Whole, frozen clams must be served immediately upon thawing. If they are allowed to warm up, bacteria growth is rapid.
• Hardshells are the connoisseur's choice for raw, halfshell clams. They are mild-flavored, sweet and briny. Cooked hardshells (cooked meat is pale, pinkish-white.) are soft, juicy and mild. Raw meat should be tender-crisp and plump, ranging in color from ivory to golden yellow, with some dark areas.
• Hardshell clams can close their shells completely and "live on their own juices" for a time, giving them a longer shelf life out of water than softshells. Discard clams with open or broken shells.
• Safety: Persons in high-risk health categories should not eat raw clams. Also, shellfish harvested from polluted waters or areas of naturally occurring "red tide" can cause serious infections or paralytic shellfish poisoning, respectively. Always check the source and certification of clams.

• Pitar rudis (Polish, 1795)

• Protothaca staminea
• Syn: Venerupis stamina
  (Conrad 1837)

Native littleneck clam, Rock clam

• The name littleneck refers to the siphons at the posterior end of the shell which are short and therefore it is seldom buried deeper than three inches.
• Along the gravel beaches of Hood Canal and Southern Puget Sound, (USA) littlenecks are in such abundance that two or three shovelfuls of substrate would contain enough clams for several people.
• Seasonally harvested, historically not harvested in months without "R's" due to poor post harvest freshness.
• When fresh a fine steamer, fried or in chowder.
  
  

• Ruditapes decussatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Grooved carpet Shell

Amygdala decussata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Slaps decussatus Linnaeus, 1758)
Venerupis decussata (Linnaeus, 1758)

• Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams & Reeve, 1848 or 50?)

• Tapes decussatus

Recipe by Sophie

• Tapes japonica

Japanese littleneck clam, Manila clam

• Tapes philippinarum
• Now: Venerupis philippinarum

Manila clam

• Tawera gayi

• Tivela stultorum (Mawe, 1823)

Pismo Clam

• The Pismo Clam: The Pismo Clam is one of the largest types of clams found along the California Coast. The clams can grow up to seven inches, if not interfered with by hungry clammers and sea otters.
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• Ventricoloidea nux

• Venerupis aurea
  (Gmelin, 1791)

• Syn: Tapes aureus, Paphia aurea and Venerupis aureus.
  

Golden delicious carpet Shell)

aquiculture in Italy

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Polititapes aurea (Gmelin, 1791)
Polititapes petalina (Lamarck, 1818)
Slaps aureus (Gmelin, 1791)

• Venerupis philippinarum
• Was: Tapes philippinarum

Manilla Clam

• Relevant Synonyms:
• Tapes japonica
• Tapes quadriradiatus Deshayes, 1853
• Tapes semidecussatus Reeve, 1864
• Tapes violascens Deshayes, 1853
• Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams & Reeve, 1850)
• Another Japanese native, "accidentally" imported from Japan with Pacific oyster seed in the 1930s. Has flourished in Puget Sound (Washington Stae, USA) since that time, and is the staple of the local shellfish industry.
• Fabulous steamed, butterfly fried, or in chowder

• Venerupis pullastra (Montagu, 1803)

• Venerupis rhomboides (Pennant, 1777)

Banded carpet shell; Es - Almeja rubia; Fr - Palourde rose

• Other scientific names still of use : Slaps rhomboides (Pennant, 1777)
• Cooking Instructions for pasteurized clams

• Venerupis stamina
  (Conrad 1837)
• Now: Syn.Protothaca staminea

Native littleneck clam, Rock clam

• Venerupis pullastra

• Cooking Instructions for pasteurized clams

• Venerupis variegata

Short Necked
Clam

• Venus antiqua
  (King & Broderip, 1831)

• Venus verrucosa (Linnaeus, 1758)

Wart venus, Warty come

• Adelomelon ancilla (Lightfoot, J., 1786)

Maidservant Volute

• Adelomelon becki

• Adelomelon ancilla magellanica (Gmelin, J.F., 1791)

Magellanic Volute

• Cymbiola vespertilio (Linné, 1758)

Bat volute

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• Cymbium cymbium
  (L., 1758 )

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• Cymbium glans (Gmelin, 1791)

Elephant's Snout

• Cymbium marmoratum
  (Link, 1807

• Cymbium pepo
  (Lightfoot, 1786)
  

African Neptune volute

• Cymbium senegalensis
  (Marche-Marchad, 1978 )

• Melo (Melocorona) miltonis (216) (Griffith, E. & Pidgeon, E., 1834)

Milton Baler

• Pachycymbiola brasiliana
  (Lamarck, J.B.P., 1811)

• Zidona dufresnei
  (Donovan, 1823)

Fine Snail

Xancidae

Chank Shells

See Turbinellidae