Evening sun view sand-filled cockle shell next to empty Razor Clam and Pharus shells, sand ripples beach, St Annes, Fylde Coast

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The Pharus legumen bivalve is similar in appearance and related to the longer Razor Clam. Pharus belongs to the Family Solecurtidae and Razor Shells to the Family Sclenidae. The shells of both bivalves are elongated, narrow and brittle. Pharus grows to a length of 130mm. The hinge and ligament, for springing the shell open, is about half-way along the shell's length, in contrast to the Razor Clam, where the hinge is towards the end of the shell's long edge. In Pharus the ends of the shell are rounded and the margins of the shell, when closed, touch each other. In the Razor Clam the end of the valves are straight and gaping, only the long edges of the shell touching. Half of a common cockle shell (Cardium) is also visible.

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Size: 5472px × 3648px
Location: St Annes Beach, Fylde Coast, Lancashire, UK
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: annes, beach, biology, bivalves, brown, cardium, clam, clams, coast, cockle, cockles, common, evening, fylde, geography, lancashire, legumen, pharus, razor, ripple, sand, shellfish, shells, st, sun, sunlight, uk, view, yellow