Martesia striata
| Martesia striata | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Myida |
| Family: | Pholadidae |
| Genus: | Martesia |
| Species: | M. striata |
| Binomial name | |
| Martesia striata (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
Martesia striata, known as the striate piddock[1], is a species of bivalve belonging to the family Pholadidae[2] known for boring into wood, including that of boats and dock pilings.[3]
Description
M. striata has a relativly large for the genus Martesia that is colored yellow and white. The shell is wedged shaped with a rounded posterior and pointed anterior. The posterior end appears wrinkled and has a thin periostracum. The anterior end is made of sigmoid ridges that radiate from the umbo. The shell is about 30 mm long and 14.5 mm heigh.[4]
Distribution
The species has an almost cosmopolitan distribution, being found from tropical to temperate latitudes but not at the poles.[2][5]
Ecology
M. striata bores into surfaces to create tunnels to live in. Most often the piddock bores in wood, especially that of boats and dock pilings[6], but they have also been known to bore into pipes made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).[7] The boring process starts by the piddock first moving to the base of the burrow. Once there, M. striata causes abrasion to the surface through by contracting its shell with its abductor muscle.[6] In regions with a monsoon season, the piddock reduces boring activity during the monsoon season as it lines up with their gonad activation. Larval M. striata have a low tolerance for low salinity causing this pattern.[8]
References
- ↑ Leal, José H. (2014-03-07). "The Striate Piddock". Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
- 1 2 "Martesia striata (Linnaeus, 1758)". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ↑ Yennawar, P. L.; Thakur, N. L.; Anil, A. C.; Venkat, K.; Wagh, A. B. (1999-08-01). "Ecology of the Wood-boring Bivalve Martesia striata (Pholadidae) in Indian Waters". Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 49: 123–130. doi:10.1016/S0272-7714(99)80017-1. ISSN 0272-7714.
- ↑ Bartsch, Paul; Rehder, Harold A. "The west Atlantic boring mollusks of the genus Martesia". Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 104 (11).
- ↑ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Martesia striata (Linnaeus, 1758)". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2026-08-27.
- 1 2 Ansell, A. D.; Nair, N. B. (1969). "The Mechanisms of Boring in Martesia striata Linne (Bivalvia: Pholadidae) and Xylophaga dorsalis Turton (Bivalvia: Xylophaginidae)". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences. 174 (1034). The Royal Society: 123–133. ISSN 0080-4649.
- ↑ Jenner, H. A.; Rajagopal, S.; Van der Velde, G.; Daud, M. S. (2003-12-01). "Perforation of ABS pipes by boring bivalve Martesia striata: a case study". International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation. 52 (4): 229–232. doi:10.1016/S0964-8305(03)00106-9. ISSN 0964-8305.
- ↑ Yennawar, P. L.; Thakur, N. L.; Anil, A. C.; Venkat, K.; Wagh, A. B. (1999-08-01). "Ecology of the Wood-boring Bivalve Martesia striata (Pholadidae) in Indian Waters". Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 49: 123–130. doi:10.1016/S0272-7714(99)80017-1. ISSN 0272-7714.