Phaxas
Encyclopedia
Phaxas is a genus
of small razor shells in the family
Pharidae
. Members of the genus have a pair of elongate valves and live in soft sediments on the sea bed. They have a muscular foot with which they can dig rapidly and a short siphon which they extend to the surface of the substrate. They are suspension feeders.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of small razor shells in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Pharidae
Pharidae
Pharidae is a family of clams related to the razor shells , a family which includes Pharidae by some authorities.-Genera:* Afrophaxas Cosel, 1993* Cultellus Schumacher, 1817* Ensiculus H...
. Members of the genus have a pair of elongate valves and live in soft sediments on the sea bed. They have a muscular foot with which they can dig rapidly and a short siphon which they extend to the surface of the substrate. They are suspension feeders.
Species
The following species are recognised:- Phaxas adriaticus (Coen, 1933)
- Phaxas pellucidusPhaxas pellucidusPhaxas pellucidus or the transparent razor shell is a species of marine bivalve mollusc in the family Pharidae. It is found buried in the seabed in coastal waters of northwest Europe, often in great numbers.-Description:...
(Pennant, 1777) - Phaxas tenellus Cosel, 1993