HOME>>
DISSEMINATION
INTRO>>
ENVIRONMENTS FLORA-FAUNA DIDACTICS IMAGES GLOSSARY CREDITS
SCIENTIFIC NAME
COMMON NAME
THUMBNAILS
Kingdom Animalia
Class Bivalvia
Order Veneroida
Family Cultellidae
Genus Ensis
Specie siliqua
Classification Linnaeus, 1758
Common name common razorfish
Size up to: 17 centimeters

Physical Characteristics the two valves are similar, elongated cylindric. Front and back edges are truncated. External part of valves is bright and signed by some longitudinal accretion lines. The shell outside is yellow-brown, while inside is white.
Behaviour it penetrates in the substratum in which it lives, thanks to its tentacular siphons. Although it is inside the substratum, it feeds filtering water through telescopic siphons.
Habitat sandy and muddy seabeds.
Food habits it filters water and catch particles of phytoplancton and suspended particles.
Reproduction it reproduces in the spring months. Male lets out sperms and the female the eggs, fertilization is external. Larvae for about ten days are planktonic, after that they reach the seabed where they settle.

Sources  
References Federcoopesca Friuli Venezia Giulia
Web References http://www.confcoop-fvg.it/
Source of the photo http://www.biopix.dk/

Search with Google Ensis siliqua

Valid HTML 4.01! Valid CSS!