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 (the neurotoxin found in paralytic shellfish poisoning) is derived from the genus name Saxidomus.
Species Species within the genus Saxidomus include: Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Saxidomus gigantea Butter clam Western coast of North America, ranging from the Aleutian Islands to San Francisco Bay Saxidomus nuttalli California butterclam and Washington clam Northern California to Baja CaliforniaSaxidomus purpurata Purple butter clam Western Pacific China and Japan
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