Dall, 1889
Body relatively small, elongate and mostly less than 50 mm in length. Valves are well-developed but fragile and sculptured with densely arranged dorsal papillae. Insertion plates are lacking and the articulamentum is represented by slight sutural laminae on valves 2-8. The valves are naturally white or beige in colour but may have deposits of iron or manganese on their surface imparting a yellow, orange or black colouration. The girdle is narrow and covered by minute spicules or scales and surrounded by a fringe of short bluntly pointed spines. Members of this family are typically merobranch. They occur from the littoral zone down to depths of greater than 7000 m.
Source: Jones and Baxter, 1987.
The following subtaxa of this family occur in the region:
Genus Leptochiton
Leptochiton asellus
Leptochiton cancellatus