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Ensis minor (Chenu, 1843)
Norway to Morocco, to Mediterranean. Possibly New Jersey to Texas. In sand, from low intertidal to sublittoral.
Original taxon: Solen siliqua minor.
In shallow sand, Grado, Friuli Venezia Giulia, NE. Italy. 97mm.
There is an Ensis minor given by W. H. Dall in “Synopsis of the Solenidae of North America and the Antilles”, Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum vol. XXII, Washington 1900:
 
« Cape May to Florida and texas. This is Solen ensis var. minor of some of the earlier writers, and bears toE. directus the same relation than Ensis ensis Linnaeus of Europe does to the north European E. magnus Schumacher. It differs from the young ofE. directus in having the valves wider behind than in front and relatively narrower as a whole. »

Same spot, 104mm.
Solen siliqua minor, without any description, in Chenu: Illustrations conchyliologiques… vol. II, Paris 1842, via BioLib.de.
A good description of the american Ensis minor is given by Louise M. Perry in Marine shells of the southwest coast of Florida, Ithaca 1940:
 
« Shell equivalve, greatly elongate, gently arched, dorsally concave. Umbos at anterior end of dorsal margin, subterminal. Anterior margin blunt, posterior slightly narrowed, blunty rounded. Color bluish white with purple bands parallel to posterior margin and limited to the postdorsal area ; a narrow, dark band at anterior margin ; polished, yellow-brown epidermis. Hinge with cardinal teeth and a lateral plate in left valve. Interior milky white ; impressions of two adductor muscles ; shallow pallial sinus. Smooth margins. » In my view, it doesn’t appear to be the same species than the european minor.
In nets, Kavala area, Keramotí, Néstos dímos, East Macedonia and Thrace, N. Aegean. 110,5mm.

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