About Ensis siliqua (Linnaeus, 1758)
The shell valves of Ensis siliqua are elongated, reaching a maximum length of 21 centimetres (8.3 inches). The two edges of each valve are straight and parallel. The shell base colour is creamy white, sometimes marked with brownish stripes, and the outer periostracum layer is olive green. The shell surface is sculpted with fine lines, and visible growth marks are present across the surface. The anterior end of the shell is truncated, while the posterior end is rounded. This species has a very large foot, which allows it to burrow into the fine, hard-packed muddy sediments it prefers as habitat. In this habitat, Ensis siliqua occurs alongside the starfish Astropecten irregularis and the common otter shell Lutraria lutraria. Ensis siliqua is distributed in coastal areas of the northeast Atlantic Ocean, ranging from the Baltic Sea and North Sea south to the Mediterranean Sea.
