ENSIS MINOR

Ensis Minor is the only true native razor clam: it has very ancient origins and it’s often confused with Solen Vagina, keep reading for a comparison.

It’s enough to consider how appreciated and abundant it once was in our local waters to understand why it became a typical ingredient in many traditional recipes. Numerous accounts tell of fishermen eating them raw on the shore as soon as they were harvested.

Over the years, however, specifically starting in the late 1970s, the situation has changed: today, it is almost a rarity, a prized mollusk that is difficult to find. Let’s discover together the morphological features of this mollusk, which belongs to the Pharidae family.

Morphological characteristics of Ensis Minor

The shell structure is fragile, equivalve and inequilateral. The shell is straight, elongated (almost a rectangle with blunt edges), cylindrical, and open at both ends, with both valves convex siphons protrude from one of them.

The margins are sword-shaped, dorsal and ventral edges are straight. Both the anterior and posterior ends are blunt. There are no transverse grooves on the anterior edge of the two valves.

On the external surface of the valves, you can observe longitudinal growth lines that bend at a right angle along a diagonal line extending from the umbo down toward the opposite corner.

The imprint of the anterior adductor muscle clearly surpasses the posterior end of the ligament. The U-shaped pallial sinus is equal in size or slightly smaller than the adductor scar.

Both valves have a hinge, with two cardinal teeth, two lateral teeth on the left, and one cardinal and one lateral tooth on the right. It differs from the Solen Marginatus species due to the absence of a groove on the anterior edge of the valves.

Size: up to 17 cm in length.

Organoleptic characteristics of Ensis Minor

Its standout feature is its flavorful taste, which delights and pleases the palate. With its firm texture, it is considered a prized mollusk due to its limited availability. The smell is delicate and characteristic of the species.

Internal and external color of Ensis Minor

The periostracum is greenish in color, taking on darker brownish tones especially around the edges. The external coloration can be:

• brownish
• brown-yellowish
• pale gray

Each valve features an elongated whitish triangular band with vertical brownish stripes and violet hues. The internal coloration is whitish.

Origin and habitat of Ensis Minor

They are mainly found in Mediterranean waters. They live in shallow sandy seabeds (ranging from just a few decimeters deep to a maximum of 4 meters).

They are harvested and sorted by hand throughout the year (except during biological rest periods), on board of the boats equipped with hydraulic dredges.

During low tide, they can also be harvested by hand in shallow sandy coastal areas.