Shipworm

ocean creatures · wood-eating · molluscs · surprising animals

Clams in disguise. Shipworms look like slimy worms, but they're actually bivalves, the same family as clams and mussels. Scientists were surprised to learn that these wormy creatures are really molluscs hiding in a long, thin body.

Ship destroyers. Shipworms live inside wood that's underwater, slowly eating tunnels through wooden ships, docks, and pilings. Over time, they can weaken these structures so much that ships sink or docks collapse.

Wood-only diet. Unlike regular clams that filter tiny food from water, shipworms eat the wood itself to survive. They're xylophagic, which means they munch on wood as their main food source.

Saltwater specialists. Shipworms only thrive in salty ocean water, never in freshwater lakes or rivers. This is why they're a problem for ships and ocean structures but not for things floating on rivers.

Sailor's nemesis. For hundreds of years, shipworms were a nightmare for sailors because they would destroy wooden ships from the inside, making them leak and fall apart. This is how they got their name, even though they're not actually worms at all.