Teredo somersi

Teredo somersi is a species of mollusc primarily reported from the Western Atlantic, including the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Bermuda, where it was first described. It can also be found in similar warm-water environments globally, either natively or introduced via wooden ships.^[2][3]

Teredo somersi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Order:	Myida
Family:	Teredinidae
Genus:	Teredo
Species:	T. somersi
Binomial name
Teredo somersi Clapp, 1924[1]
Synonyms[1]
Teredo radicis Moll, 1937

Characteristics

Teredo somersi has a long, worm-like body with small, ridged shells at the front used for boring into wood.^[2][3]

Habitat

Teredo somersi is found in warm, marine environments—often in tropical and subtropical waters. Like all shipworms, it ingests wood as it tunnels, aided by symbiotic bacteria in its gills that help digest cellulose.^[2][3]