The shell is smooth on the outside and whitish in color, with vertical and horizontal reddish-brown or purplish-brown markings separated by a diagonal line.

Right and left valve of the same specimen: The razor shell lives under the sand, using its powerful foot to dig to a safe depth.

A digging cycle involves integration of the muscular foot (which takes up a large part of the body) with the opening and closing of the valve and one end.

[5] Its presence is revealed by a keyhole-shaped hole in the sand, made by its siphons during suspension feeding for plankton.

In winter and spring consecutive spawns take place, interrupted by gonadal restoration periods.

[citation needed] Razor shells are very sensitive to minor perturbations in, for instance, salinity and temperature.