Key:  Family Buccinidae

Taken primarily from  Kozloff, 1987, 1996 p 223 (Copyright 1987, 1996, University of Washington Press.  Used in this web page by permission of University of Washington Press)

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1a	Dark lines between prominent and evenly spaced spiral ridges showing through on the inside of the aperture; axial ribs nearly parallel to the long axis of the shell, generally not extending to the body whorl except in specimens less than 3 cm high (height to 5 cm; common intertidal and shallow subtidal species) (Searlesia dira in original key)	Lirobuccinum dirum
1b	No dark lines on the inside of the aperture (the spiral ridges are almost microscopic, and there are no obvious dark lines between them); axial ribs extending to the body whorl, and often somewhat irregular as well as oblique to the long axis of the shell (height to about 7 cm; moderately common subtidal species	Buccinium plectrum