Bivalves 

Family Pectinidae & Propeamussidae








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Chlamys hastata Chlamys hastata Chlamys hastata Chlamys hastata 
      San Juan Islands, WA                    Anacortes, WA, in an aquarium              Freshwater Bay, WA, subtidal                         color variations


 

Pectinidae
Delectopecten vancouverensis Delectopecten vancouverensis
            Barkley Sound, BC                   off Vancouver Is., BC



Delectopecten vancouverensis (Whiteaves, 1893)
Vancouver Scallop
subtidal, 27 - 4100m          size to 45mm
northern Mexico to southern Alaska and northern Japan to Kamchatka
The shell is colorless and translucent with imbricated sculpturing. Smooth specimens are sometimes referred to as D. tillamookensis.
(synonym - Pecten randolphi)























Crassadoma gigantea Crassadoma gigantea Crassadoma gigantea 
                      Slip Point, WA                                         Anacortes, WA, swimmer stage                                Anacortes, WA, intertidal






Chlamys hastata (Sowerby, 1842)
Spiny Pink Scallop
intertidal to150m          southern California to northern Alaska          size to 83mm
Tiny live juveniles can be occasionally seen in tidepools, otherwise the occasional single adult valve may wash ashore.  The upper shell is usually pink with some white radial streaks and the lower shell is pale.  The ribs are raised and covered in sharp spines, particularly in the specimens found south of Puget Sound.  An alternate name, Chlamys h. hericia, is sometimes used to describe specimens north of Washington which tend to have more subdued ribs.  These geographic subspecies are then referred to as Chlamys hastata hastata (Sowerby, 1842) and Chlamys hastata hericia (Gould, 1850).  The color can occasionally be shades of yellow to orangish and infrequently, white. Live specimens are frequently covered with sponge growth.

Chlamys hastata




































          

Patinopecten caurinus Patinopecten caurinus Patinopecten caurinus
            Puget Sound, WA                   Dixon Entrance, BC, juvenile                    San Juan Islands, WA, subtidal
Patinopecten caurinus (Gould, 1850)
Weathervane Scallop or Giant Pacific Scallop
subtidal, 10-300m     central California to northern Alaska          size to 30cm
The shell is thin for its size.  It starts out pink to red and becomes more tan with age.  The shell can become as large as a dinner plate.



Crassadoma gigantea
all Anacortes, WA, intertidal



Crassadoma gigantea (Gray, 1825)
Purple-hinged or Giant Rock Scallop
intertidal to 80m     northern Mexico to northern Alaska     size to 25cm
This can be found at very low tides, both in the juvenile swimming form and as an adult attached the undersides of rocks. The juveniles can be mistaken for the Chlamys species.  The rock scallop juveniles tend to be yellow or orange, while the Chlamys juveniles tend to be pinkish, although all the species can be a range of colors. The rock scallop juvenile is also wider and has more robust sculpturing.  The purple stain on the interior of the hinge is very distinctive and is present even in the juveniles.  The older adult specimens are generally heavily encrusted and come to resemble the rocks.
(synonyms - Hinnites giganteus, Hinnites multirugosus, Chlamys gigantea)



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Parvamussium alaskense
Unalaska Island, AK
Parvamussium alaskense (Dall, 1871)
Alaska Glass-Scallop
subtidal, 15-1530m          size to 25mm
southern California to northern Alaska; Bering Sea to northern Japan
This fragile shell has closely spaced commarginal ribs.  The right valve is smaller than the left. 
(previous name - Pecten alaskensis)



This page last revised: 5-25-2019













Chlamys rubida Chlamys rubida Chlamys rubida
        San Juan Islands, WA                                   color variations
Chlamys rubida (Hinds, 1845)
Smooth Pink Scallop
subtidal, 1-200m          size to 70mm
southern California to northern Alaska and west to northern Japan (not common south of Puget Sound, Washington)
Tiny live juveniles can infrequently be found at
water's edge during a low tide.  The upper valve of the shell is pink to reddish-purple, occasionally yellow to orange, and infrequently, white.  The radial ribs are smooth.  The lower valve is pale.  The live shells are often encrusted with sponge.  Those specimens in the more northern range with coarser sculpture were once called Chlamys hindsii.  More southern specimens with stronger microstructure and brighter colors were once called Chlamys jordani.
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Propeamussiidae
Cyclopecten davidsoni
well offshore, central BC coast
Cyclopecten davidsoni (Dall, 1897)
Salmon Glass-Scallop
subtidal, 146-650m          size to 15mm
north Oregon to south Bering Sea
The left valve is usually a salmon color.
(previous name - Propeamussium davidsoni, Pecten davidsoni)

























Click on photo to enlarge.  Scale line in photo equals 1cm unless otherwise specified.
* Species which are commonly encountered on the beach.