Is Teredo a Mollusca?
Is Teredo a Mollusca?
They are commonly known as “shipworms,” however they are not worms, but marine bivalve molluscs (phylum Mollusca) in the taxonomic family Teredinidae….Teredo (bivalve)
| Teredo | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Myida |
Can shipworms swim?
They seem to be able to detect rotting wood and are able to swim towards it when they are close enough. Each one then crawls around until it finds a suitable location, where it attaches itself with a byssus thread.
Why Teredo is called ship worm?
Teredo navalis is actually a species of saltwater clam but it is called a shipworm due to its worm-like appearance. It has a long, reddish body that is topped with a very small shell adapted to bore into wood.
How do shipworms eat?
The shipworm uses the tiny pair to dig into wood, forming a burrow to protect its soft body, and digesting the excavated bits of wood as food. Symbiotic bacteria in the clam’s gills provide the necessary enzymes to digest the wood. Figure 2.
Are giant shipworms edible?
In Palawan and Aklan in the Philippines, the shipworm is called tamilok and is eaten as a delicacy. It is prepared as kinilaw—that is, raw (cleaned) but marinated with vinegar or lime juice, chopped chili peppers and onions, a process very similar to ceviche.
How big can shipworms get?
Details of the creature, which can reach up to 1.55m (5ft) in length and 6cm (2.3in) in diameter, were published in a US science journal. The giant shipworm spends its life encased in a hard shell, submerged head-down in mud.
What does tamilok taste like?
It tastes like oyster, but even better, many attest. It is eaten fresh and raw, dipped in coconut vinegar (sukang tuba) with salt and chili. While tamilok has long been utilized as food by locals in communities near mangrove forests, of late, it has become quite popular among tourists going to Palawan.
What is Teredo navalis and how dangerous is it?
Teredo navalis is a very destructive pest of submerged timber. In the Baltic Sea, pine trees can become riddled with tunnels within 16 weeks of being in the water and oaks within 32 weeks, with whole trees 30 cm (12 in) in diameter being completely destroyed within a year. Ships’ timbers are attacked, wrecks destroyed and sea defences damaged.
How often do Teredo navalis reproduce?
Reproduction typically occurs in the summer months when temperatures reach 15 degrees Celsius. Females spawn 3 to 4 times per season, each time releasing 1 to 5 million larvae. Teredo navalis embryos spend the first 2 to 3 weeks in the mother’s gill chamber.
Where did the common shipworm Teredo navalis come from?
Occurence and settlement of the common shipworm Teredo navalis (Bivalvia: Teredinidae) in Bremerhaven harbours, northern Germany. Helgoland Marine Research, 56: 87-94. USDA, 2006. “Submodule 7: The Price We Pay — Economic Impacts” (On-line).
What kind of Mollusca is a shipworm?
They are commonly known as ” shipworms ,” and are marine bivalve molluscs in the taxonomic family Teredinidae. The type species is Teredo navalis. Because it is a tunneling genus, Teredo was chosen as the namesake of the Teredo network tunneling protocol.