Saxidomus


Saxidomus, common name the "Washington clams", is a genus of large edible saltwater clams, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Veneridae, the Venus clams.
The species Saxidomus gigantea is known as the "butter clam".
The term for saxitoxin is derived from the genus name Saxidomus.

Species

Species within the genus Saxidomus include:
ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Saxidomus giganteaButter clamWestern coast of North America, ranging from the Aleutian Islands to San Francisco Bay
Saxidomus nuttalliCalifornia butterclam and Washington clamNorthern California to Baja California
Saxidomus purpurataPurple butter clamWestern Pacific China and Japan