Elongate shell up to about 21cm in length. Both dorsal and ventral edges of the shell are straight. White or creamy white in colour with red-brown streaks streaks. Periostracum dark green to yellow-green. Shell sculptured with smooth horizontal and vertical lines with clear growth lines.
Key identification features
- Dorsal and ventral edges of the shell straight
- Distance of anterior scar from shell edge roughly equal to that for the ventral scar
- Posterior gape oval
- Anterior edge truncated
Similar species
- Ensis minor has ventral scar much closer to edge than anterior scar
Ecology and behaviour
Burrows in fine or silty sand. Remains close to the surface while submerged in water, retreating to a depth of up to half a metre when exposed.
Distribution and status
Recorded from the Norwegian Sea and Baltic, south to the Iberian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean.