Marine Shells of the Western Coast of Florida 



Family SOLENIDAE 



The family Solenidae is represented in almost all seas in the 

 sandy bottoms of coastal waters. Along the Atlantic seaboard from 

 Newfoundland to Texas, members of this family are known as razor 

 clams. All are edible, but the strong, cylindrical foot enables them to 

 bury themselves so rapidly and so deeply that capture is difficult. 



Genus ENSIS Schumacher, 1817 

 Enslsi^- minor Ball PI. 17, fig. 112 



Alt., 15; length, 70 mm. Shell equivalve, greatly elongate, gently 

 arched, dorsally concave; umbos at anterior end of dorsal margin, 

 subterminal; anterior margin blunt, posterior slightly narrowed, 

 bluntly rounded. Color bluish white with purple bands parallel to 

 posterior margin and limited to the postdorsal area; a narrow, dark 

 band at anterior margin; polished, yellow-brown epidermis; hinge 

 with cardinal teeth and a lateral plate in left valve; interior milky 

 white; impressions of two adductor muscles; shallow pallial sinus; 

 smooth margins. 



In sandy bottoms — on sand bars in shallow water and at mod- 

 erate depths. 



Ensis minor megistiis^'^^* Pilsbry and McGinty PL 44, figs. 309a, b 



Alt., 17 mm., length, 145.5 mm. This large Ensis is similar to 

 Ensis minor in form but grows much larger and comes from deep 

 water, while Ensis yninor is more generally found m bays or quiet 

 water. The valves are thin, with pinkish-brown concentric streaks on 

 the posterior ray. 



Family MACTKIDAE 



Members of this family are native to the sandy shores and mod- 

 erate depths of all seas and in favorable situations become very 

 abundant. They are edible but have a slightly acrid, peppery taste. 



The shells are equivalve, some of them slightly subequilateral, 

 transversely elongate, more or less inflated in the umbonal region. 

 Two ligaments, one external, and an inner cartilaginous ligament 

 lodged in a spoon-shaped fosse posterior to the bifid cardinal tooth. 

 Two muscular impressions and a pallial sinus. 



^°- Lat., ensis, sword. 



^^^ Lat., megistanutn, magnates, nobles. 



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