Most people discover this elusive clam only after it has died, when its shell surfaces from the sand. However, these shells don't remain in the environment for long due to their extreme thinness and brittleness, as they are quickly recycled by nature. This is fortunate because razor clam shells can injure beachgoers. Similar to the superpowers described in another Alien Sighting segment on scallops, the Atlantic razor clam is well-equipped to evade predators.
Unlike hard shell clams that depend on the strength of their shells for protection, razor clams (Ensis directus) cannot completely close their shells and are highly vulnerable when exposed. While their shells don't provide much protection, they do enable the clam to excel in fast movement and digging. Like other clams, razor clams use a muscular "foot" to burrow beneath the surface. Being one of nature's most skilled burrowers, the razor clam's unique adaptations have been studied by MIT. Researcher Amos Winter explains that the razor clam "reduces burrowing drag by using motions of its shell to fluidize a thin layer of substrate around its body." This ability is so innovative that robotic versions are being tested to revolutionize mechanistic drilling. In addition to reducing drag around its body, the razor's foot tapers to a fine point as it penetrates and extends through the substrate. Once fully extended, the tip of the foot flares, creating an anchor, at which point the foot is quickly retracted, pulling the clam into the substrate.
These burrowing adaptations, combined with the shape of its shell and its extremely sensitive vibration detection, make razor clams difficult to catch by digging. Predators that target razor clams expend significant energy to capture them.
So how did we manage to find the clam in the picture? Rather than being located inside the enclosure where the oysters are kept, this clam had buried itself within one of the legs of an oyster cage—a very secure place, at least until an oyster farmer decided to move the equipment! Since the legs of the gear sink into the seabed, repositioning it can sometimes extract 6 inches or more of substrate. The clam was only revealed when some of this substrate fell away from the gear.
Clams come in various shapes and sizes. This article from Serious Eats highlights the most common clams found on menus. Locally caught mid-Atlantic razor clams are not often featured in restaurants because mass-harvesting is impractical. Therefore, most culinary explorations of this delicacy are the result of private foraging efforts.
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