Fri Dec 19 2014 at 20:17:06
I've been digging, cleaning, cooking and eating Razor Clams for over half a century, but I am not a biologist, so for those interested in detailed scientific and taxonomic information I have provided source links at the end of this article.
Where are the valves on a skeleton?
Their shells are not a pretty shape like the Cowry's, or iridescent like an Abalone's; these are not shells to be prized and displayed on a shelf or held to one's ear to hear the rush of the ocean. The Razor clam's hinged oblong shells, also known as valves, are part of their exoskeleton. The shells are rather flat and flimsy-looking, and the exterior appears to have been applied with a layer of browning shellac. However: the clams inside are damn good eating, and unlike many smaller clams the Razor is cleaned before it is eaten.