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Bite Compass

Razorfish (Razorshell)

Shore / Sand flats
Pinna bicolor (Family Pinnidae)

In WA, 'razorfish' is not a fish at all — it's the razor shell or pen shell, a large fan-shaped bivalve (Pinna bicolor) that lives buried point-down in seagrass and sand flats. Gathered by hand on the shallow flats at low tide for its sweet adductor muscle, and a popular feed and bait around Cockburn Sound and Shark Bay. A gathered shellfish, managed under the molluscs/razorshell rules.

Overview

Worth clearing up first: in Western Australia 'razorfish' (also razor shell or razor clam) is not a finfish at all — it's the pen shell, a large triangular bivalve (Pinna bicolor and relatives, Family Pinnidae) that lives buried point-first in seagrass meadows and sandy flats, with the broad fan of the shell protruding from the bottom. They're gathered by hand on the shallow flats at low tide, prized for the sweet scallop-like adductor muscle inside, and they're a long-standing feed and bait source on the flats of Cockburn Sound, the Peel-Harvey, Shark Bay and similar sheltered waters. So this is a gathering activity, not angling — you wade the flats and collect them, you don't catch them on a line. Take care: the thin shell edges are sharp (hence the name) and the exposed shells can cut bare feet.

How to Catch
Best baits

N/A — razorfish are gathered by hand, not caught on bait. (The muscle itself makes excellent bait for whiting, bream and other fish.)

Lures

N/A

Rigs

No rig — razorfish are collected by hand on the flats. A glove and a knife or shucking tool to cut the adductor muscle, plus a bag or bucket, are all that's needed. Some gatherers cut the muscle in situ and take only the meat; others collect whole shells to shuck on shore.

Technique

Wade the shallow seagrass and sand flats at low tide and look for the protruding fan-shaped shells standing up out of the bottom. Reach down and cut the adductor muscle with a knife, or gently work the shell free. Move quietly over the flats — and watch your footing, as the buried shells are sharp underfoot. A rising day with clear, calm shallow water makes spotting them far easier. Collect only what you'll use.

Best time

Gathered year-round, best on the low tides that expose or shallow-up the flats, and in clear, calm conditions that make the shells easy to spot. Daytime low tides over the seagrass meadows are ideal. Warm, settled weather suits wading the flats.

Size

Shell commonly 20–40cm long

Peak season

Year-round

Eating quality

Very good — the white adductor muscle eats much like a small scallop: sweet and tender, best lightly seared in butter or used in pasta and seafood dishes. Use it fresh on the day of collection. The rest of the animal is usually discarded; it's the muscle that's the prize.

Regulations (WA)

Razorfish are razorshells (Family Pinnidae), managed as a gathered mollusc, not as a finfish: no minimum size, and a daily/possession limit of 20 (as listed for razorshells in the WA molluscs and invertebrates rules). A separate licence is not generally required for hand-gathering from the shore, but rules differ for collection from a boat and by area. Always check current DPIRD rules — regulations may change.

Perth Tips

Cockburn Sound, the Peel-Harvey flats, and the Shark Bay seagrass meadows are classic razorfish grounds. Wear sturdy footwear or booties — the buried and discarded shells are genuinely sharp and cut bare feet easily. Take only what you'll eat, and don't leave broken shells scattered on popular flats. The muscle also makes a top bait for whiting and bream if you gather a surplus.

Where to Catch Razorfish (Razorshell)
Coodanup Foreshore (Peel Inlet) Mangles Bay (Rockingham) Safety Bay Woodman Point Jetty
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