The Jackknife clam gets its name from its shell's extremely sharp rim and the overall shape bearing a strong resemblance to an old fashioned straight razor.

Amos Winter of MIT has studied razor clams and how they bury themselves, in part by using a repurposed ant farm and glass beads.

[1] Thus the species is not often commercially fished, even though it is widely regarded as a delicacy: in coastal Massachusetts, they are sought after in the summer by locals to make home cooked clam strips and most towns have ordinances regulating how many can be taken at a time.

Predators of Ensis directus other than humans include birds, such as the ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) in North America and the Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) in Europe, and the nemertean worm Cerebratulus lacteus.

[4] The Atlantic jackknife clam is now also found in northwestern Europe, where it is regarded as a harmful exotic species, but is also commercially exploited.