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Encyclopedia entry: teredo
- Article from:
- The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea
Copyright© The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea 2006, originally published by Oxford University Press 2006. (Hide copyright information)
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teredo,
a bivalve
mollusc
, of the family Teredinidae, also known as a shipworm because of the damage they cause to any wood in the sea. They bore long cylindrical holes in the wood, digesting the wood they carve out. They have digestive enzymes that are able to break down cellulose; most other woodborers rely on symbiotic micro-organisms to break it down. The tunnel connects to the outside water via a tiny hole through which the teredo obtains the oxygen it needs. A fully grown teredo can be nearly a metre in length, and carve a ...