Ship worms bore into wood, and have troubled shipbuilders for centuries. The worm eats into the wood with microscopic rasp-like teeth, leaving only a small hole on the outside. The inside of the timber can be riddled with holes like a honeycomb. The biggest worms in New Zealand waters can grow to 60cm long, and can grow by 2cm per day.
Fortunately the famous Toredo Nevalis is not one of the five species found in New Zealand. The common name "shipworm" is really a misnomer, although looking like a worm when extracted from its wooden home it is actually a mollusc.
