# Great shipworm (*Teredo navalis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/great-shipworm  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The great shipworm (Teredo navalis) is a mollusc in the class Bivalvia, family Teredinidae and subfamily Teredininae. It belongs to the genus Teredo within the superfamily Pholadoidea, phylum Mollusca and kingdom Animalia. The species was named by Linnaeus, 1758, and is also called shipworm, naval shipworm or common shipworm.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | marine |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Mollusca
- class: Bivalvia
- family: Teredinidae
- genus: Teredo
- species: *Teredo navalis* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Pholas teredo*, *Serpula teredo*, *Teredo austini*, *Teredo batavus*, *Teredo beachi*, *Teredo beaufortana*, *Teredo japonica*, *Teredo marina*, *Teredo marina*, *Teredo morsei*, *Teredo navalis borealis*, *Teredo navalis japonica*, *Teredo navalis var. occlusa*, *Teredo novangliae*, *Teredo pocilliformis*, *Teredo sellii*, *Teredo sinensis*, *Teredo vulgaris*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the great shipworm?

The great shipworm is a mollusc in the class Bivalvia and the family Teredinidae.

### What is the scientific name of the great shipworm?

Its scientific name is Teredo navalis, placed in the genus Teredo.

### Who named the great shipworm and when?

The species was named by Linnaeus, 1758.

### What other names does the great shipworm have?

It is also called shipworm, naval shipworm and common shipworm.

### Which family does the great shipworm belong to?

It belongs to the family Teredinidae, in the subfamily Teredininae and the superfamily Pholadoidea.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Great shipworm (Teredo navalis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/great-shipworm