March 15, 2023

Seafood Razor Clams

The razor clams They are a delicious and nutritious seafood that has conquered palates around the world. We explain what types you can find and what their characteristics are.

Eng: Pod Razor

Scientific name: Ensis arcuatus

Family: Solenaceae

Class: Bivalvia

Middleweight: 35 Grams

Average Dimensions: 7 - 15 cm

What are and Characteristics of Razor Clams?

Razors are a bivalve mollusk (shell with two valves) that lives on the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean.

Their name refers to their physical appearance; razor clams are shellfish with an elongated, rectangular shell that's brown or white in color. Their edges are curved and the ends are open.

They are also very characteristic physically because they have small vertical and horizontal lines that give them that razor-like appearance.

They usually measure between 7 and 15 cm long, while barely over 3 cm wide, razor clams are small but very tasty seafood.

Razor clams have a basic diet: they only eat plankton or particles suspended in the water, and curiously, they feed through their gills.

They have a long, flexible siphon that they use to breathe and to filter water and extract the food they need.

They are usually found in vertical holes quite deeply that they themselves do.

A razor clam is a shellfish that can expand its foot by pumping blood to burrow down to a depth of 50 cm. This process of burrowing and transporting itself through its own burrows occurs at high speed.

Razor clams are hermaphrodite mollusks, possess both male and female reproductive organs. Razor clams' sexual reproduction is exogenous, meaning that fertilization occurs externally. In this case, the eggs and sperm are expelled into the sea, where fertilization occurs.

Although their usual name is razor clams, they can also be found as razor clams, razor clams, shellfish, or longorón, although this would be incorrect because they are not the same mollusk.

Razor clams are highly prized in gastronomy for their seafood and marine flavor, although they are rarely found canned.

Types of Razor Clams

There are different types of razor clams: European razor, American razor, rough razor and Chilean macha.

The European or Galician razor clam is one of the most commercialized and is fished mainly off the coasts of Galicia and Portugal.

They are a little longer than other types of knives and are distinguished mainly by having a whiter color than the rest.

The rough razor clam is characterized by having hair covering its entire shell, although it maintains the characteristic brown color of sea razor clams.

They can be fished in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The American knife is another of the most commercialized and abundant in the market due to their competitive flavor.

This shellfish is very similar to the European variant but with a dark brown color and more rounded shell edges.

Both types of razor clams have excellent flavor and texture, making them the most common choice when shopping.

The Chilean Macha is also known as the navajuela and is found only along the coasts of Chile and Argentina.

They are quite elongated razors, measuring up to 20 cm and capable of reaching a much greater depth than other types of shellfish razors.

Nutritional Values of Seafood Razor Clams

Razor clams are a seafood with good nutritional properties and are a very nutritious food, with lots of fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Nutrients	Quantity
Calories	86 Kcal
Proteins	11.9 gr
Total Fats	2.2 gr
Saturated fats	0.40 gr
Monounsaturated Fats	0.5 gr
Polyunsaturated fats	0.6 gr
Cholesterol	28 mg
Carbohydrates	3.69 gr
Dietary fiber	0 gr
Sugars	0 gr
Football	26 mg
Iron	4 mg
Potassium	320 mg
Sodium	286 mg
Vitamin C:	8 mg
Vitamin A	48 g
Thiamine	0.16 g
Riboflavin	0.21 mg
Vitamin B6	0.05 mg
Vitamin E	- mg

**It is important to note that these values may vary slightly depending on the quality and freshness of the razor clams.

In general, they are a protein food with a large contribution of healthy fats (Omega-3), few calories and rich in vitamins and minerals.

Razor clam habitat Mollusc

The razor clams are in Coast zones, usually on beaches with fine, clean sand. They can even be found in busy areas.

Although they are distributed across several countries, razor clams are very common in places like Spain, Portugal, Japan and the United States.

It is difficult to find razor clams with the naked eye, as they hide in deep vertical holes dug by themselves.

A razor clam can dig a 50 cm hole under the sand to survive without being caught by predators. However, it's usually found at a depth of 40 cm. When it needs to come out in search of food, it runs vertically through the hole and comes to the surface to obtain plankton and particles from the water.

Then, it goes back down, supporting itself on its foot, to sink at high speed to the depth it normally inhabits.

Season and Fishing Gear

Razor clam fishing season (Fish)

Razor clams can be caught any month of the year, from December to January. To avoid running out of them during the off-season, the best option is deep-frozen razor clams, which retain their best flavor and texture all year round.

They are a mollusk that lives in shallow coastal areas and is accessible to all anglers. Although expert razor clam anglers recommend fishing on days of high tide and light wind. This is because razor clams are caught from the shore and you need to have a completely clear view of the water bottom.

How to fish for razor clams

Razor shellfish fishing It is done manually on the shores of the beaches where these mollusks live.

To detect an area where razor clams are present, look in the sand and look for two figure-eight-shaped holes that are usually created by the holes. To catch razor clams, a very simple and foolproof technique is used: drop a handful of salt into the aforementioned hole, and the razor clam will come out on its own.

You have to be very fast because once the knife comes out it dives back in at high speed, and its shell is fragile and if you grip it too tightly it can break.

Other techniques for fishing razor clams include using tools such as rakes and shovels, nets, or rods to catch them.