Bivalvia |
Myida |
Teredinidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Benthic; brackish; depth range 0 - 150 m (Ref. 76971), usually 0 - 20 m (Ref. 75831). Temperate; 11°C - 25°C (Ref. 98650); 72°N - 58°N, 25°W - 31°E
Northeast Atlantic: Native to Iceland, Faroe and Norway. Introduced to the Baltic Sea, Mediterranean and Pacific Ocean. Temperate to tropical.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm Max length : 50.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 76971)
Body reddish and with a characteristic elongate worm-like shape. Anterior part covered by a small (up to 2 cm long) reduced helmet-like shell consisting of two triangular-shaped parts (anterior and posterior lobes similar), which is white with light brown periostracum (outermost layer). This shell acts as a wood-boring instrument. The brownish soft worm-like body lies in a calcareous tube up to 60 cm long and 1 cm in diameter.
Inhabits wooden material (logs, pilings, ships, other submerged wooden constructions) from temperate to tropical zones (Ref. 76974). Salinity tolerance: 5-35 parts per mille (Ref. 78117). Considered a pest and an invasive species as it destroys submerged wood (Ref. 76971). Found in intertidal areas in timber (Ref. 75831). Wood borer (Ref. 104365).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Female phase: 8-10 weeks after larval stage; females larviparous, i.e., deposits living larvae instead of eggs; fertilized eggs develop through half of the larval period in the maternal gill chambers. Primary male phase: after 4-6 weeks of larval stage in warm temperatures, up to 6 months in colder temperatures with total length range 2-3 cm and 0.2 body diameter (Ref. 78112). It displays poecilogonony as its reproductive strategy (Ref. 99837).
Harms, J. 1993 Check list of species (algae, invertebrates and vertebrates) found in the vicinity of the island of Helgoland (North Sea, German Bight) - a review of recent records. Helgoländer Meeresunters 47:1-34. (Ref. 2711)
IUCN Red List Status
(Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Potential pest
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
| FishSource |
Tools
More information
Trophic EcologyFood items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Predators
PhysiologyOxygen consumption
Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature
(Ref.
115969): 8.1 - 20.2, mean 10.9 (based on 964 cells).
Fishing Vulnerability
Moderate vulnerability (40 of 100).
Price category
Unknown.
