Species profile
Pacific Razor Clam
Siliqua patula
At a glance
Pacific Razor Clam (Siliqua patula) is a bivalve mollusk regulated in 14 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 1 (Georgia); the most generous is 300 (Federal Waters (DFO)).
Confirmed by 1,708 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Pacific razor clams can bury themselves completely in wet sand in under a minute.
- Their thin, elongated shells can grow to 6–7 inches (15–18 cm) in length.
- They can live 15 years or more, with growth rings visible on the shell.
- Razor clamming on Pacific Northwest beaches is a celebrated recreational tradition.
- They feed by filtering plankton and organic particles from surrounding seawater.
Where Pacific Razor Clam are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Pacific Razor Clam
Background
The Pacific razor clam, Siliqua patula, is a species of large edible marine bivalve mollusc in the family Pharidae.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Pacific Razor Clam article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other clams/oysters/mussels on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.