File:Ensis ensis.jpg

Summary

Ensis ensis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Near Riumar, Baix Ebre, Catalonia, Spain 26 March 2008

Razor shells are deep burrowers and are rarely seen alive; when disturbed they rapidly move down deeper into the sediment (2). They typically position themselves so that two short tubes known as 'siphons' protrude above the surface of the sediment, allowing the mollusc to draw in a respiratory current of water into the body via one siphon, and out via the second. Food is also extracted from this current; this species is a suspension feeder, extracting particles of organic matter from the water (4). The presence of this razor shell in the sediment can be detected by characteristic holes in the sand, similar to keyholes, which are made by the siphons (2). Maturity is reached after three years and breeding takes place during spring. The larvae live in the plankton for around a month before settling (2). The life span is thought to be around 10 years (2).

Copyright status:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source:

http://www.eol.org/pages/448704