414 American SeasheUs 



Genus Pitar Romer 1857 



Anterior left lateral fitting into a well-developed socket in the right 

 valve. Middle left cardinal large; posterior right cardinal split. 



Subgenus Pitar s. str. 

 Pitar juhiiinata Menke Lightning Venus 



Plate 39d 



North Carolina to Florida and the West Indies. 



I to 1/4 inches in length, plump, umbones large and full; lunule very- 

 large and outlined by an impressed line. Anterior end broader than the pos- 

 terior end. Sculpture of crowded, rather heavy lines of growth. Exterior 

 whitish with spots and/or zigzag markings of yellowish brown. Moderately 

 common in shallow water, %-inch young are commonly dredged off Miami. 



Pitar albida Gmelin of the West Indies is very similar, but all white 

 in color, more quadrate in shape, has a narrower and more elongate lunule, 

 and is usually more compressed. Common. 



Pitar morrhtiana Linsley Morrhua Venus 



Plate 32I; figure 8ie 



Gulf of St. Lawrence to North Carolina. 



I to I /4 inches in length, oval-elongate, moderately plump, with the 

 lunule large and elongate. With numerous, heavy lines of growth. Color 

 dull grayish to brownish red. P. fuhrmjata is similar, but is found only to the 

 south of Cape Hatteras, is not so elongate (compare figures), and is marked 

 with brown. Fairly commonly dredged off New England. 



Pitar simpsoni Dall Simpson's Venus 



South half of Florida and the West Indies. 



% inch in length, plump, with fine, irregular, concentric threads; the 

 large, ovate lunule is polished smooth. Color white to purplish white, com- 

 monly with zigzag, yellow-brown markings. Escutcheon absent. Nearest 

 in shape to inorrhiiana. Uncommon at low tide to 26 fathoms. 



Subgenus Pitarenus Rehder and Abbott 1951 

 Pitar cordata Schwengel Schwengel's Venus 



Plate 3811 



Off the Florida Keys and the Gulf of Mexico. 



1V2 inches in length, very similar to morrhuana, but much fatter, with 



