Ensis siliqua var. minor (Chenu, 1843)
Description
Elngate shell up to about 17cm in length. Both dosal and ventral edges of the shell are straight. White or creamy white in colour with red-brown streaks streaks. Periostracum dark green to yellow-green. Shell sculptured with smooth horizontal and vertical lines with clear growth lines..
Key identification features
- Dorsal and ventral edges of the shell straight
- Distance of anterior scar from shell edge much less that of the ventral scar
- Posterior gape compressed
- Anterior edge truncated
Habitat & ecology
Burrows in fine or silty sand. Remains close to the surface while submerged in water, retreating to a depth of up to half a metre when exposed.
Similar species
(View comparison chart)- Ensis siliqua has ventral and anterior scars roughly the same distance from edges of the shell