Their pointed exterior is so sharp that it cuts through human flesh.

Half buried in sand and often hidden by seagrass, they can be found in dotted clusters across Lake Macquarie, including popular swimming spots and nestled around boat ramps.

Razor clams, or razor fish as they are also known, typically grow to about 50 centremetres in length and have been a talking point for locals for a number of years.

No one knows much about them for sure – such as how they breed, or how long they live, but thanks to a research grant, the secret life of the razor clam is slowly being unmasked.

University of New England honours student Jamie Burns is half-way through his 12-month project, after receiving a $9000 grant from Lake Macquarie City Council to find out the basic biological framework of the razor clam.

“No research has been carried out in Australia since the late 1980s, and that was in South Australia,” Mr Burns said.

“Anecdotally we have heard their numbers have increased around the lake, but we have nothing on record to back that up.”

There are nine different species of razor clams found in Australia – all native, five of which are found in NSW.

To date, the only species to be found in the lake is the Pinna Bicolour.

In recent years the razor clam has become a safety issue for the Lake Macquarie City Council.

In 2007, council agreed to a two-year trial removal program, along with the erection of warning signs across affected hot spots, costing $37,000.

However, research has found the razor clam has its benefits, acting as a filter feeder and improving the water quality of the lake.

They are also commonly eaten throughout Asia.

Research by Mr Burns will determine growth rates, mortality rates and reproductive cycle of the Pinna Bicolor, with the eventual goal to work out a management plan for council.

Mr Burns has set up spat (larvae) collectors – onion bags suspended one metre above the floor across various points in the lake – which he collects every month.

“They seem to put more effort into repairing themselves than reproduction, and tend to live up to the 20-year mark; so far around the lake we have only found them to be as old as six or seven,” Mr Burns said.

“There are clusters of them in Cams Wharf, around Morisset, Carey Bay and Wangi – all across the lake.”

“If people have seen them in other areas around Lake Macquarie, even if it was 20 or 30 years ago, we would love to hear from them,” Mr Burns said.

Email Mr Burns at jamie.burns@indus-try.nsw.gov.au if you have any information about razor clams (razor fish).