474
N. BALAERISHNAN N A m AND M. SARASWATHY
amphipod Talorchestia tricornuata and small unidentified balanid cirriped inhabiting teredo burrows (Moll, 1939).
Sellius (1733) while speculating on various remedies for, and preventive measures against, shipworms, suggests, among others, an increase in the number of enemies of teredo especially small fishes. Teredo
larvae are susceptible to fungus diseases leading to mass mortalities in
cultures (Loosanoff and Davis, 1963).
XVIII. OBJECTS ATTACKED
With their characteristic boring habits and a boundless appetite for
wood the shipworms attack vegetable matter of every description both
living and dead. The record of their ravages reveals a long list of objects from the sea, brackish waters and also from fresh water. Roonwal
(1954) reports from the 24 Parganas forest division in the Sundarbans
in West Bengal, that the shipworm Bactronophorus thoracites attacks
several species of both living and dead forest trees in the mangrove
swamps. The borer attacks trees whose base it riddles with galleries so
that ultimately, although the trees remain green and outwardly healthy,
they break at the base and topple over in strong wind. Similar destruction has been recorded by Moll (1941a; see also Roch, 1953) from the
Philippines.
The attack of shipworms is not confined to objects like wooden
hulls of boats, barges and docks (Dampier, 1697; Cook, 1773;
Moll, 1912, 1948a; Tarasov, 1943; Cormio, 1947; Bavendamm and
Schmidt, 1948 ; Nair, 1958 ; Vanin, 1950; Roonwal, 1954) but also to
such objects as buoys and floats which they indiscriminately attack.
Stimpson (1851) and Clapp (1949) report on the serious damage by
Teredo dilatata on pine buoys and slipping at Lynn and Marble Read
(N.E. Massachusetts). T . megotara attacks floating pine wood at Newport (Rhode Island) and cedar buoys at New Bedford, and Provincetown (Mass.), and in West Indies (Verrill, 1873), large floats at Norfolk
(Durand, 1887) and cedar wood buoys at Woods Hole (Sumner et al.,
1913). Shipworm also attacks floating objects like cork (MacGillivray,
1845; Jeffreys, 1859; Marshall, 1893) corky seeds and coconuts
(Rpengler, 1779, 1784 ; Martens, 1894 ; Smith, 1910 ; Roch, 1937 ;
Crichton, 1941), jute or gutta-percha covers of submarine cables (Jona,
1913; Jungersen, 1906; Rivera, 1915; Roch, 1937, 1940; Cormio, 1947;
Bavendamm and Schmidt, 1948), ropes (Coe, 1933a; Clapp, 1934,
1936 ; Roch, 1937, 1940 ; Bavendamm, 1948), plywood (Pessin, 1946)
and lobster traps (Rathbun, 1880; Dow, 1950). All fixed objects of
plant origin too are unsparingly attacked such as pillars of piers (Nair,
N. BALAERISHNAN N A m AND M. SARASWATHY
amphipod Talorchestia tricornuata and small unidentified balanid cirriped inhabiting teredo burrows (Moll, 1939).
Sellius (1733) while speculating on various remedies for, and preventive measures against, shipworms, suggests, among others, an increase in the number of enemies of teredo especially small fishes. Teredo
larvae are susceptible to fungus diseases leading to mass mortalities in
cultures (Loosanoff and Davis, 1963).
XVIII. OBJECTS ATTACKED
With their characteristic boring habits and a boundless appetite for
wood the shipworms attack vegetable matter of every description both
living and dead. The record of their ravages reveals a long list of objects from the sea, brackish waters and also from fresh water. Roonwal
(1954) reports from the 24 Parganas forest division in the Sundarbans
in West Bengal, that the shipworm Bactronophorus thoracites attacks
several species of both living and dead forest trees in the mangrove
swamps. The borer attacks trees whose base it riddles with galleries so
that ultimately, although the trees remain green and outwardly healthy,
they break at the base and topple over in strong wind. Similar destruction has been recorded by Moll (1941a; see also Roch, 1953) from the
Philippines.
The attack of shipworms is not confined to objects like wooden
hulls of boats, barges and docks (Dampier, 1697; Cook, 1773;
Moll, 1912, 1948a; Tarasov, 1943; Cormio, 1947; Bavendamm and
Schmidt, 1948 ; Nair, 1958 ; Vanin, 1950; Roonwal, 1954) but also to
such objects as buoys and floats which they indiscriminately attack.
Stimpson (1851) and Clapp (1949) report on the serious damage by
Teredo dilatata on pine buoys and slipping at Lynn and Marble Read
(N.E. Massachusetts). T . megotara attacks floating pine wood at Newport (Rhode Island) and cedar buoys at New Bedford, and Provincetown (Mass.), and in West Indies (Verrill, 1873), large floats at Norfolk
(Durand, 1887) and cedar wood buoys at Woods Hole (Sumner et al.,
1913). Shipworm also attacks floating objects like cork (MacGillivray,
1845; Jeffreys, 1859; Marshall, 1893) corky seeds and coconuts
(Rpengler, 1779, 1784 ; Martens, 1894 ; Smith, 1910 ; Roch, 1937 ;
Crichton, 1941), jute or gutta-percha covers of submarine cables (Jona,
1913; Jungersen, 1906; Rivera, 1915; Roch, 1937, 1940; Cormio, 1947;
Bavendamm and Schmidt, 1948), ropes (Coe, 1933a; Clapp, 1934,
1936 ; Roch, 1937, 1940 ; Bavendamm, 1948), plywood (Pessin, 1946)
and lobster traps (Rathbun, 1880; Dow, 1950). All fixed objects of
plant origin too are unsparingly attacked such as pillars of piers (Nair,