Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife RAZOR CLAMS

* Introduction
* Regulations
* How Razor Clam Seasons are Set
* Clam Population Sampling
* Domoic Acid
* Recreational Fishery
* How to Dig
Razor Clams
* How to Prevent Wastage
* How to Clean Razor Clams
* Razor Clam Recipes

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Pacific Razor Clam
Pacific Razor Clam (Siliqua patula)
Click here for current Razor Clam season information
Introduction

The Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula) is an exceptionally meaty shellfish which ranges from California to Alaska. It is abundant on surf-pounded ocean beaches, but also occurs in sheltered areas along the coast. Limited diving observations have indicated some adult razor clams (S.patula) offshore for up to one-half mile. Razor clams dredged in water deeper than 30 feet, although similar to the beach clam, are a different species (Siliqua sloati).


A beach packed with clam diggers
In Washington waters, the razor clam grows to a maximum length of six inches, although they are seldom found. Clams seven inches long have been recorded, but are very rare. The life expectancy for Washington clams is five years. Again, there are exceptions, but razor clams suffer from a high degree of mortality due to predation by Dungeness crabs, shore birds, numerous species of fish and of course thousands of clam diggers. A disease was also discovered in the early 1980's that caused mass mortalities of large numbers of clams. It is unknown how long this disease has affected clam populations. In contrast, razor clams found in Alaska may grow to eleven inches in length and live to be 15 years old, due to colder water temperatures and slower growth rates.

Razor clams are found primarily on the intertidal coastal beaches (those that are exposed at low tide) from a +3 foot level to a -2 foot tide level. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) divides the harvest areas into five major management zones (see map):

Other areas where razor clams exist are: a series of sand spits in the mouth of Willapa Bay, the Quinault Indian Reservation and numerous small beaches north of Olympic National Park (ONP) Trail 3 at Kalaloch. The sand spits in Willapa Bay are referred to as the Willapa Spits and are used for commercial harvest.


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