When we come across rotting wood, most of us may dismiss it as useless debris. However, this doesn’t apply to the shipworm boring in wood (Bactronophorus thoracites). Despite its worm-like appearance, this species is definitely a genus of clam closely related to the clam family.
The wood-eating earthworm boasts a bigger body size, measuring about 30 cm in length, in comparison with earthworms. Its body is white and it has peculiar mouthparts called a pallet. The purpose of the pallet is to seal off the living opening when it feels threatened.
The wood-boring shipworm inhabits the brackish waters of the western Indo-Pacific. They depend on the presence of mangrove trees as a food source. As the name suggests, wood-boring worms use decaying mangrove wood as a habitat. This behavior plays a key role within the decomposition of organic matter, making it a key decomposer within the macrofauna group.
Although shipworms are rarely seen in urban areas, they’re a delicacy in Southeast Asian cultures. People who like them normally hunt them by looking for and breaking up rotting mangrove wood. Once harvested, the pieces of wood are split open to disclose hole interiors where wood-eating shipworms live.
Commonly often known as Tamil, is often known as a famous delicacy in Palawan and Aklan, Philippines. In the Kalimantan region of Indonesia, the Dayak community often eats this creature raw, known locally pottery. Additionally, the practice of consumption Tamil it’s common among the many Kamoro tribe in Indonesian West Papua and southeastern Sulawesi, in addition to in Thailand on Ko Phra Thong. In Kamoro culture, shipworms are used because the fundamental dish during various cultural celebrations reminiscent of the Karapao cultural festival.
Although shipworms seem unappetizing to some, they’re known for his or her high protein content, which provides tissue repair and maintenance advantages. In Papuan culture, they’re believed to have medicinal properties, relieving ailments reminiscent of back pain, cough, rheumatism, flu, malaria, improving lactation, appetite and male virility.
In southeast Sulawesi, Politeknik Kesehatan Kota Kendari has innovatively developed dried, wood-boring shipworm cracker-like snacks to combat malaria. Wiralis, a lecturer at Politeknik Kesehatan Kota Kendari, revealed that in vitro evaluation showed that wood-feeding shipworms are a functional food source that will be utilized in malaria-endemic areas. This is attributable to the invention of alkaloids in them that inhibit growth Plasmodium aconidasidathe parasite that causes malaria.
