| Pharus legumen | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Adapedonta |
| Family: | Pharidae |
| Genus: | Pharus |
| Species: | P. legumen |
| Binomial name | |
| Pharus legumen (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
Pharus legumen (also known as the bean razor clam or the bean solen), is a species of bivalve mollusc commonly found burrowed in the sand on lower shores and in the shallow sublittoral. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Pharus legumen is up to 130mm long and has a characteristic bean-shaped shell. The shell colour ranges from white to light brown and it displays a light olive to yellow periostracum. The right valve has a single cardinal tooth and a short peg-like posterior lateral tooth, whereas the left valve has two elongated and closely spaced cardinal teeth and a single posterior lateral tooth. [4]
Pharus legumen is commonly found in the English Channel, in the north-east Atlantic and in the Mediterranean Sea. [5]
Pharus legumen is similar to other species of razor clam of the genus Ensis, Phaxas and Solen. The key feature to identify it is the presence of a ligament in the middle third of the shell. [4]