Scaphopod Species
A key to most of them is found in Shimek, 1998.
Order DENTALIIDA DaCosta, 1776
Family Dentaliidae Gray, 1834
Antalis H. & A. Adams, 1854
Antalis (= Dentalium ) pretiosum (Sowerby 1860) - In exposed habitats with significant wave action. Collected on the Northwest Coast and traded by Native Americans throughout the Northern Plains. Robust shell, length to 6 cm.
Dentalium Linnaeus, 1758
Dentalium neohexogonum (Pilsbry & Sharp 1897)
Dentalium vallicolens Raymond, 1904. Moderate depths, uncommon or absent in shallow water. Faint longitudinal sculpture on the apical half of the shell.
Fissidentalium Fischer, 1885
Three species, all below depths of 300m..
Fissidentalium actiniophorum, Shimek, 1997. Found near 4000 m. Typically has a symbiotic sea anemone, Anthosactis nomadus (White,Pagels and Fautin, 1999) found on the shell.
Fissidentalium erosum, Shimek & Moreno, 1996. Found in excess of 3000 m. Appears to have an eroded exterior.
Fissidentalium megathyris (Dall, 1890). Details of the diet may be frown in Langer et al. 1995.
Family Rhabdidae Chistikov, 1975
Rhabdus Pilsbry & Sharp, 1897
Rhabdus (= Dentalium ) rectius (Carpenter 1864). Found in shallow, silty sands. Generalist carnivore, also eats sediment and fecal pellets. Shell thin, straight, fragile when dry; length may exceed 10 cm, diameter to about 6 mm.
Order GADILIDA Starobogatov, 1974
Family Gadilidae Stoliczka, 1868
Gadila Gray, 1847
Gadila (= Cadulus ) perpusillus (Sowerby, 1832). Replaces Gadila aberrans in Southern California. Slender, length to 10 mm; aperture constricted.
Gadila (= Cadulus fusiformis ) aberrans (Whiteaves 1887). Found in clean sands from Central California north; eats foraminiferans. Slender, length to 10 mm; very slight apertural constriction.
Siphonodentalium M. Sars, 1859
Siphonodentalium quadrifissatum (Pilsbry & Sharp 1898) Found in Central California to Central Washington. Apical aperture with four lobes.
Cadulus Philippi, 1844
Cadulus californicus (Pilsbry & Sharp 1898) Cadulid, to 15 mm long; in silty sands from Southern California to Vancouver Island. Opaque, very highly polished shell.
Cadulus tolmiei Dall, 1897. Cadulid, to 15 mm long; in silt along Northwest Coast, reported from California; similar to Cadulus californicus , but shell thinner, more hyaline, translucent. Eats foraminiferans in the genus Uvigerina.
Family Pulsellidae Scarabino, 1982
Pulsellum Stoliczka, 1868
Pulsellum salishorum Marshall, 1980. Habitat generalist, up to 7 mm long, looks like a small Dentaliid, but the foot introverts during retraction instead of folding..
Ron Shimek