fish_4_all said:
Up here the limit is:
40 clams or 10# of little necks, butters, softs, macoma and cockles.
7 horse clams
and in some places we get a bonus of 24 cockles.
Papers don't have a separate limit here so they fall in the 10# 40 clam limit as far as I know.
What is the best way to tell them apart?
DOH! You're in Washington!!! *chuckle* well... forget what I said about limits, then...
Usually size is the key factor... but when dealing with small gapers, the shell shape and siphon tips are the most important keys.
Fat gapers (
Tresus capax) are round on the side of the shell opposite the hinge and have a nearly 45-degree angle at the hinge. When viewed from the siphon end (posterior), the shells are evenly proportioned. Pacific gapers (
Tresus nutalli) are similar, but have a less rounded shell margin opposite the hinge. The siphons have a leathery skin covering the entire length. The siphon tips (neck tip) of both species often have a horny or leathery flap and often have algae, barnacles, and other saltwater growth on them. The opened siphons have small tentacles surrounding their openings and a blue to red tint within. The maximum size is somewhere around 10 inches in shell length, but most individuals are between 5 and 7 inches.
Eastern softshells (
Mya arenaria) are smaller with a more oval profile. When viewed from the posterior, the shells are often unevenly shaped and one is often larger than the other. The siphons have a less leathery skin covering their length and often have a black tip. Rarely do they have any marine growths on them. The maximum size is about inches, but most individuals are between 3 and 5 inches.