1. The present paper dealing with the species of Chinese Pinnidae is based on materials collected from the littoral and sublittoral zones along the coast of China during the last 12 years. The following 9 species were found: (1) Pinna atropurpurea Sowerby (2) Pinna muricata Linné (3) Pinna attenuata Reeve (4) Pinna bicolor Gmelin (5) Pinna (Atrina) vexillum Born (6) Pinna (Atrina) pectinata Linné (7) Pinna (Atrina) penna Reeve (8) Pinna (Atrina) inflata Wood (9) Pinna (Streptopinna) saccata Linné 2. The species of Pinna of the China coast belong to the Indo-West-Pacific fauna. Their centre of distribution is in the Indo-Malayan subregion. Of these species, only Pinna (Atrina) pectinata has a wind Indo-West-Pacific distribution ,extending northward to the Yellow Sea (about 36°N. on the China coast) and the middle part of Honshu (37 °N. on the Pacific coast, 39°N. on the Japan Sea coast) and southward to the coast of South Australia, occurring either in the tropical, subtropical or. even the warm ternperate regions. Pinna (Atrina) penna is restricted to the Indo-Malayan waters, while the others, such as Pinna muricata and Pinna atropurpurca, are restricted more or less to the tropical waters south of the Hainan Island. 3. The range of vertical distribution of the above mentioned species is shown in table. 1. All species inhabit the sublittoral zone with the exception of Pinna muricata, which is abundantly found in the middle and lower parts of the intertidal zone. They may also be occasionally found near the lower tide mark, but these are mostly ju?enilcs. Pinna (Atrina) penna is found at depths of from 25 to 100 meters or more. Pinna (Atrina) pectinata, Pinna atropurpurea and Pinna attenuata are abundant at depths between 30-50 meters.