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Body Parts of a Razor Clam

The razor clam (Siliqua patula) can be distinguished from other clams by its distinctive shape. Although its body parts resemble those of other bivalves, it has one important difference: It can swim.

  1. Size

    • The razor clam's shell can reach 7 inches long and is narrow and slightly curved.

    Significance

    • The razor clam uses its hatchet-shaped foot for digging and swimming, unlike other clams, which do not swim.

    Features

    • Besides its shell and foot, the razor clam has a mantle (fleshy gland that secretes the shell), adductor muscles (to open and close the shell), siphons (one to take in water, the other to excrete waste) and gills (to filter food from the water siphoned in).

    Misconceptions

    • The razor clam is not the same as the jackknife clam (Ensis minor), a different genus of bivalve found along the U.S. Atlantic coast and in Europe.

    Warning

    • Domoic acid in infected razor clams can cause toxic poisoning. Razor clams should only be harvested from certified beaches, and the digestive system (the dark part of the flesh) should be removed during cleaning.

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References

  • Photo Credit "A clam" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: enlewof (Allen Lew) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.

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