Key:  Family Hiatellidae

Taken primarily from  Kozloff, 1987, 1996 p. 284 (Copyright 1987, 1996, University of Washington Press.  Used in this web page by permission of University of Washington Press)

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Lower taxonomic level	Main Page	Alphabetic Index	Systematic Index	Glossary

1a	Pallial line discontinuous, consisting of a series of separate scars	2
1b	Pallial line continuous (length sometimes exceedintg 15 cm; the mantle cavity is not large enough to accomodate the immense siphon; the shell gapes widely except in the region of the hinge; deep burrower in mud, intertidal and shallow subtidal) [Panope abrupta in key]	Panopea abrupta
2a	Shell gaping widely at both ends; hinge plate of both valves with a single pointed tooth; scars forming the discontinuous pallial line conspicuous; length up to about 7 cm; tips of siphons not bright red (shallow subtidal)	Panomya chrysis
2b	Shell gaping only slightly; hinge plate of valves of adults without teeth (in young specimens, there are 2 teeth on the hinge plate of both valves); scars forming the discontinuous pallial line faint; length generally less than 5 cm; tips of siphons bright red (nestling in algal holdfasts as well as in burrows made by rock-boring bivalves, and in other protected situations; capable also of burrowing into shell and soft rock)	Hiatella arctica

  Panopea abrupta