Scuttle Worms
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- These saltwater annelids eat a variety of dead organic matter, including the wooden planks of ship hulls, making them a menace to marine traffic. An infestation of scuttle worms can sink a boat in a matter of days if they bloom unnoticed. For this reason seagoing vessels are routinely dry-docked and inspected before any extended sea voyage.
- Common Names
- Scuttle worms, Ship Grubs
Description
- Classification
- Annelid
- Size
- Up to 3 centimetres (Up to 1.25 inches)
- Appearance
- White segmented worms with a ring of tiny black bristles at each segment. Their mouths are a tri-part hinged beak like structure.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Tropical through temperate salt water
- Diet
- Wood and other dead plant material that is soaked in salt water.
Behaviour
- Social grouping
- No structured groups exist, but they seldom travel very far from where they hatch, unless carried by a boat or ship.
- Temperament
- Oblivious, will react to touch by squirming away.
- Intelligence
- Negligible
- Reproduction
- Scuttle worms are hermaphrodites and when food is plentiful will mate and lay eggs in the tunnels they chew through waterlogged wood. The eggs hatch in a few weeks, and begin the cycle anew, becoming adult sized and sexually mature after a month or more given sufficient food material.
Domestication
- General
- No domestic use
- Resources
- Fish bait
