Pacific Razor Clam (Siliqua patula)

Description: These bivalves are named for the razor sharp edges of their shells, which are oblong and brown to yellowish-brown. In Oregon and Washington, razor clams grow up to 6 inches long, and in Alaska, can reach lengths of up to 12 inches. Predators of the Pacific razor clam include starry flounder, Dungeness crab, and many species of shorebirds.

Habitat: Pacific razor clams are found on sandy beaches from Pismo Beach, California, north to Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. Though they mainly live in the intertidal zone, they can be found at depths of up to 180 feet (55 m).

Diet: Razor clams feed on microscopic phytoplankton by filtering seawater through their hose-like siphon.

Tide Pool Tidbits:

• This is one of the world’s fastest-moving bivalves! Using its muscular foot, razor clams can burrow in sand at 9 inches per minute! Though they are incredible vertical diggers, they cannot move horizontally.

• The oldest razor clam ever recorded was 18 years old and found in Alaska! Scientists believe even older individuals may exist.

• Pacific razor clams are broadcast spawners. They spawn once the ocean temperature reaches 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and female clams release 6-10 million eggs per spawn.

Reference: Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Ocean Conservancy, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife