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Be aware Razor Clams are still abundant in Lake Macquarie in 2008

 Update February 2008 - The local council has been running razor clam removal programs over the last six months or so.  The intention is to remove as many clams as possible from around a dozen areas that are frequently used by waders and swimmers. 

The results of the removal program have been quite interesting.  Only a small percentage of the razor clams that have been removed are actually alive, the majority have been empty shells which are still extremely dangerous to stand on.  This seems to support Dr Mike Heasman's assertion that their current abundance is likely to be temporary. 

Please be aware that there are still plenty of razor clam shells in the lake in February 2008. 

We first wrote about the relative abundance of razor clams in Lake Macquarie on our website in March 2003.  We had an article published in Cruising Helmsman magazine and the local papers have also raised awareness of the razor clams.  But if you haven't been to our wonderful Lake Macquarie before, you may
not be aware that you should;

ALWAYS  wear shoes when wading in Lake Macquarie

It is always sensible to wear shoes when wading in the water due to the risk of lacerations from broken glass and other sharp objects.  Trailer yachties visiting Lake Macquarie should be aware that there is currently an abundance of medium to large razor clams in the shallows, especially south of Swansea Channel.

Razor clams, also called “razor fish”, Pinna bicolor are large, fan-shaped bivalves that live almost totally buried in the sediment on the sea floor.  They are well known in South Australia & Western Australia.  In Lake Macquarie they are virtually unknown among the boating public, and that is potentially a problem. 

Razor clams bury themselves in sediment, leaving the top few centimetres exposed.  The shell on the left is 400mm in length.	Can you see the razor clam? It’s the eye-shaped object in the centre just under & parallel to the watch

The razor clam buries itself vertically in the sediment with approximately the top three centimetres protruding.  This leaves a very thin & sharp blade of shell exposed for the unwary to stand on.  So far I have only observed them buried in weed beds, and this makes them even more difficult to see.  Have a look at the photo above to see just how well camouflaged they are.  Look for the dark, eye-shaped object in the centre of the photo, just under the watch.  The shell runs parallel to the watch, and the exposed top edge of the shell can be seen.  That is an old oyster shell in the top right corner of the photo.

I have been sailing on Lake Macquarie for over thirty years and never heard of them ever being found here.  I was so concerned at their “sudden” appearance that I contacted NSW Fisheries.

Dr Mike Heasman of the Port Stephens Fisheries Centre at Taylor’s Beach assured me that the razor clams are very much an endemic species, definitely not a recent unwelcome arrival.  In fact this species, P.bicolor is found in usually found in low abundance from NSW, Qld and through to the NT.  The recent appearance of large numbers of adult razor clams is most likely the result of an exceptional rate of survival of razor clam larvae three to four years ago.  Thus it seems that the population of razor clams is likely to fall again, unless favourable conditions return.

So the next time you are sailing here on Lake Macquarie don’t be alarmed – just wear shoes when you are wading in the water.  By the way, they have a white "scallop-like" adductor muscle which I find absolutely delicious when lightly fried in olive oil, while the rest of the animal makes very good bream bait & berley.  Razor clams can be easily harvested on still days from weed beds in areas of clean flowing water.  I find it easiest to find them in shin deep to about waist deep water.  Some of the locals use boats & long metal tongs to harvest them from deeper weed beds. 

The trick with cooking them is to use a hot pan, and only fry them a few seconds each side.  Consider the environment in the area you collect them from.  My choice is to eat razor clams from the Swansea channel area, which I reckon is the cleanest area of the entire lake.


Acknowledgement
The author would like to thank Dr Mike Heasman of NSW Fisheries for his assistance. 
Photos copyright Gavin Ayre 2003-2007, all rights reserved.
 

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