Our planet is filled with nasty, disgusting critters, and shipworms are probably in the top 10 of that category. They are small mollusks that cause billions of dollars of damage every year. Due to their insatiable appetite, shipworms have been eating wood for centuries and causing the destruction of ships, harbors, docks, and other wooden objects. Written complaints about these little guys can be found in ancient Greek documents. Even the legendary Christopher Columbus had issues with these creatures. As you know, Columbus and his team discovered America in 1492 using several ships, one of which was the iconic Santa Maria. Here’s a fun fact: the ship sank and was almost completely eaten by shipworms.
There are quite a few living beings on our planet that feed on wood, like termites, for example; however, if scientists know pretty much everything about how termites digest wood, they have no clue how shipworms function. And with the recent development involving some shipworm species changing their diet, they have become even more mysterious and fascinating.
What are shipworms anyway?
Shipworms (Teredinidae) are mollusks that mostly prefer wood in their diet. At the moment, scientists have recorded the existence of about 60 species, with some of them reaching up to 2 m in length. The front end of these creatures is covered in a small shell, which they use to borrow holes in the wood. Usually, these holes are 6 cm in diameter and 2 m long.
