Teredo navalis, the naval shipworm, is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Teredinidae, the shipworms. This species is the type species of the genus Teredo. Like other species in this family, this bivalve is called a shipworm because it resembles a worm in general appearance, but at the anterior end it has a small shell of two valves which is specialised to bore through wood.
It's probably tricky to find living specimens but check out pieces of driftwood for their telltale burrows.
Region of origin | South Pacific |
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Method of introduction | ship fouling |
Category | Clams / mussels / Oysters |