Fish Identification

Other identification tools | SeaLifeBase

Non-fish Identification: Find Species

Family: Veneridae venus clams (See list of species below)

Select Ocean (marine/brackish) or Continent (freshwater):

Select Country (optional):

Total number of spines in dorsal and anal fins (optional)

43 species in Pacific, Eastern Central with fin ray counts including ? spines in dorsal and ? in anal fins (see list below)

No picture found Chione californiensis [California venus]	No picture found Chione compta [Small banded venus]	Chione undatella [Frilled venus]
No picture found Compsomyax subdiaphana [Milky venus]	No picture found Dorisca jucunda []	No picture found Dosinia dunkeri [Dunker's Dosinia]
No picture found Dosinia ponderosa [Ponderous Dosinia]	Gafrarium dispar [Discrepant venus]	Gafrarium pectinatum [Tumid venus]
No picture found Gemma gemma [Amethyst gemclam]	Globivenus toreuma []	No picture found Humilaria kennerleyi [Kennerley venus]
No picture found Hyphantosoma festoui []	No picture found Irus crenatus []	Leukoma staminea [Pacific littleneck]
Lioconcha castrensis [Camp pitar venus]	No picture found Lioconcha gordoni []	No picture found Lioconcha hieroglyphica []
Lioconcha ornata [Ornate pitar venus]	No picture found Lioconcha philippinarum []	No picture found Megapitaria aurantiaca []
No picture found Megapitaria squalida []	Meretrix lusoria [Poker chip venus]	No picture found Nutricola lordi [Lord dwarf-venus]
No picture found Nutricola tantilla [Purple dwarf-venus]	No picture found Periglypta crispata [Crispate venus]	Periglypta puerpera [Youthful venus]
Periglypta reticulata [Reticulated venus]	No picture found Petricola carditoides [Hearty petricola]	No picture found Petricola divergens []
Petricola pholadiformis [American piddock]	Pitar pellucidus [Pellucid pitar venus]	No picture found Pitar prora []
No picture found Placamen retroversum []	Ruditapes philippinarum [Japanese carpet shell]	Ruditapes variegatus [Variegated carpet shell]
Saxidomus gigantea [Washington butterclam]	No picture found Timoclea imbricata []	No picture found Timoclea subnodulosa []
No picture found Tivela byronensis [Byron tivela]	No picture found Tivela planulata [Flat tivela]	No picture found Tivela stultorum [Pismo clam]
No picture found Venus toreuma [Embossed venus]

43 Species of Family Veneridae
(venus clams)

Sort by: Species Length

Scientific Name	English Name	Distribution	Max. Length (cm)
Chione californiensis	California venus	Eastern Pacific
Chione compta	Small banded venus	Eastern Pacific. Tempera
Chione undatella	Frilled venus	Eastern Pacific.
Compsomyax subdiaphana	Milky venus	Northeast Pacific	8.5 SHL
Dorisca jucunda		Pacific Ocean
Dosinia dunkeri	Dunker's Dosinia	Eastern Pacific. Subtrop
Dosinia ponderosa	Ponderous Dosinia	Eastern Pacific and Weste	12.5 SHL
Gafrarium dispar	Discrepant venus	Indo-Pacific	3 SHL
Gafrarium pectinatum	Tumid venus	Indo-Pacific and the Medi	4.8 SHL
Gemma gemma	Amethyst gemclam	Western Atlantic.	0.38 DL
Globivenus toreuma		Pacific Ocean.
Humilaria kennerleyi	Kennerley venus	Northeast Pacific	10 SHL
Hyphantosoma festoui		Eastern Central Pacific
Irus crenatus		Eastern Central Pacific
Leukoma staminea	Pacific littleneck	Pacific Ocean	7.5 SHL
Lioconcha castrensis	Camp pitar venus	Indo-Pacific	6 TL
Lioconcha gordoni		Eastern Central Pacific
Lioconcha hieroglyphica		Central Pacific
Lioconcha ornata	Ornate pitar venus	Indo-Pacific	5 SHL
Lioconcha philippinarum		Indo-Pacific.
Megapitaria aurantiaca		Eastern Central Pacific	11.8 SHL
Megapitaria squalida		Eastern Pacific	10.1 SHL
Meretrix lusoria	Poker chip venus	Northwest Pacific	5 ShL
Nutricola lordi	Lord dwarf-venus	Pacific Ocean	1 SHL
Nutricola tantilla	Purple dwarf-venus	Northeast Pacific.	0.6 SHL
Periglypta crispata	Crispate venus	Indo-Pacific.	5.21 TL
Periglypta puerpera	Youthful venus	Indo-Pacific	12.5 SHL
Periglypta reticulata	Reticulated venus	Indo-Pacific	9 SHL
Petricola carditoides	Hearty petricola	North Pacific.	5.5 SHL
Petricola divergens		Indo-Pacific.
Petricola pholadiformis	American piddock	Atlantic and Mediterranea	6 TL
Pitar pellucidus	Pellucid pitar venus	Indo-Pacific	4.5 SHL
Pitar prora		Indo-Pacific.
Placamen retroversum		Eastern Central Pacific
Ruditapes philippinarum	Japanese carpet shell	Indo-Pacific and the Medi	8 SHL
Ruditapes variegatus	Variegated carpet shell	Indo-Pacific	6 SHL
Saxidomus gigantea	Washington butterclam	Eastern Pacific	13 SHL
Timoclea imbricata		Pacific Ocean.
Timoclea subnodulosa		Pacific Ocean.
Tivela byronensis	Byron tivela	Eastern Pacific and Weste
Tivela planulata	Flat tivela	Eastern Pacific and Weste
Tivela stultorum	Pismo clam	Eastern Pacific	15 SHL
Venus toreuma	Embossed venus	Indo-Pacific.

Other identification tools in SeaLifeBase

Quick Identification

Identification keys

Identification by morphometrics

Identification by pictures:

          If you already know the Family, go to Search SeaLifeBase, select Family and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the family.

          If you already know the Country, go to Search SeaLifeBase, select Country and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the country.

          If you already know the Ecosystem, go to Search SeaLifeBase, select Ecosystem and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the ecosystem.