''Ensis'' is a
genus of medium-sized edible saltwater
clams,
littoral bivalve
Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, bival ...
mollusc
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...
s in the
family Pharidae. ''Ensis'', or
razor clams, are known in much of
Scotland as spoots, for the spouts of water they eject while burrowing into the sand, when visible at low tide.
This term may also colloquially include members of the genus ''
Solen''. ''
Ensis magnus'' are known as bendies due to their slightly curved shell.
Description
The shells are long, narrow, and parallel-sided. This shape resembles a closed, old-fashioned
straight razor
A straight razor is a razor with a blade that can fold into its handle. They are also called open razors and cut-throat razors. The predecessors of the modern straight razors include bronze razors, with cutting edges and fixed handles, produced b ...
(a cut-throat razor), or a closed jackknife (
pocket knife) and sometimes these clams are known as razor shells or jackknives. The shells in these species are fragile and can easily be damaged when digging for these clams.
Ecology
''Ensis'' species live in clean sand on exposed beaches. They are capable of digging very rapidly; see the description under the
Atlantic jackknife clam. Some clammers catch jackknives by pouring salt on the characteristic keyhole-shaped ''breathing holes''. The clam then tries to escape the salt by coming up out of its hole, and at this point it is possible to gently grab the shell and pull it out of the ground.
Species
Thirteen species are currently recognised:
*''
Ensis californicus''
(Dall, 1899)
*''
Ensis directus''
(Conrad, 1843) – Atlantic jackknife clam
*''
Ensis ensis''
( Linnaeus, 1758
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...
)
*''
Ensis goreensis''
(Clessin, 1888)
*''
Ensis macha''
(Molina, 1782)
*''
Ensis magnus''
(Schumacher, 1817)
*''
Ensis megistus''
(Pilsbry & McGinty, 1943)
*''
Ensis minor''
(Chenu, 1843)
*''
Ensis myrae''
(Berry, 1954)
*''
Ensis nitidus''
(Clessin, 1888)
*''
Ensis siliqua''
( Linnaeus, 1758
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...
) – pod razor
*''
Ensis terranovensis''
(Vierna & Martínez-Lage, 2012)
*''
Ensis tropicalis''
(Hertlein & Strong, 1955)
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2706031
Pharidae
Bivalve genera