Bizzare Facts

For centuries, wooden ships ruled the waves, and for just as long, sailors feared a mysterious, invisible enemy that could sink them without firing a shot. They called it the **shipworm**, a creature that bored into hulls, piers, and dikes, turning solid oak into Swiss cheese. But despite its name and its long, worm-like appearance, the shipworm is not a worm at all. It is a **clam**.

Taxonomically known as *Teredo navalis*, the shipworm is a highly modified marine bivalve mollusk. The 'head' of the creature is actually two tiny, razor-sharp shells that function as a biological drill bit. The animal uses these shells to rasp away at the wood, burrowing deeper and deeper as it grows. Its long, worm-like body trails behind it, lining the tunnel with a calcareous tube.

What makes them truly unique is that they eat the wood they excavate. With the help of specialized bacteria in their gills, they are one of the few animals on Earth capable of digesting cellulose. They are essentially the termites of the sea. While they are a nightmare for wooden boats, they play a vital ecological role in breaking down driftwood and returning nutrients to the ocean floor.