According to RÚV information, razor clams, aka cover clams, are the newest newcomer to Iceland. Scientists believe that these clams were brought to Iceland in the bilges of cargo ships. In Icelandic their name is sindraskel (pl sindraskeljar). Their name refers to their razor-like shape and sharp edges [wideo].
The first dead razor clams were found on the shore at Hafnarfjörður on New Years Eve 2020. A few days later, a live specimen was found near the mouth of the Hafnarár River in Borgarfjörður in western Iceland. This is the first time a representative of this species has been found in Iceland, not counting an isolated case in 1957 when one was found in Lónsfjörður in the east of Iceland, but no more have been found so far. Six species of such clams live elsewhere in the North Atlantic.
Scientists believe that the razor clams were brought to Iceland in the bilges of cargo ships off the east coast of North America, most likely five to ten years ago.
“If alien species are able to establish themselves in new environments, then in some cases it is possible that they can cause damage to a pre-existing ecosystem” – Read in new research published by scientists at the Icelandic Museum of Natural History. “Monitoring the razor clam is therefore important.” The museum is currently researching the population of these bivalves in Iceland in collaboration with the Institute of Marine and Freshwater Research, Matís, Southwest Iceland’s Life Science Center, and Canada’s Anishinabek / Ontario Fisheries Resource Center.
Source: Yle