THE SHIPWORM

These slimy mollusks, known as shipworms, have been making life harder for sailors since 412 BC, when ancient records reveal complaints about the little wood-eating pests infesting and ruining entire boats. Giant shipworms called Kuphus polythalamia, however, have remained an unseen mystery for hundreds of years – until April 2017. Researchers collected five giant shipworms of the species from a shallow bay in the Philippines, finally studying the elusive creature. Unlike small, wood-infesting shipworms, K. polythalamia can measure 1 to 1.5 metres in length, live facedown in marine mud, and surround themselves in hard, tubular shells that look like elephant tusks.