See text Ensis is a genus of medium-sized edible saltwater clams, littoral bivalve molluscs in the family Pharidae.

Ensis, or razor clams, are known in much of Scotland as spoots, for the spouts of water they eject while burrowing into the sand, when visible at low tide.

Ensis species live in clean sand on exposed beaches.

Some clammers catch jackknives by pouring salt on the characteristic keyhole-shaped breathing holes.

The clam then tries to escape the salt by coming up out of its hole, and at this point it is possible to gently grab the shell and pull it out of the ground.