APHOTOMARINE

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.

A-P-H-O-T-O Wildlife Stock Image Library
Xylophaga dorsalis (Turton, 1819) - Wood piddock (Marine bivalve images)
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Wood piddock
Xylophaga dorsalis
- shell with mesoplax 1

Wood piddock
Xylophaga dorsalis
- shell with mesoplax 2

Wood piddock
Xylophaga dorsalis
- shell with mesoplax 3

Wood piddock
Xylophaga dorsalis
- dorsal surface of mesoplax 1

Wood piddock
Xylophaga dorsalis
- ventral surface of mesoplax 1

Numerous juvenile specimens of live shells were found in three pieces of timber in a skip in Newlyn Harbour. The timber was likely caught in a trawl off the coast of Cornwall, 11.01.17.

Wood piddock
Xylophaga dorsalis
- interior / valves left and right 1

Wood piddock
Xylophaga dorsalis
- interior / valves left and right 2

Wood piddock
Xylophaga dorsalis
- interior / valves left and right 3

Wood piddock
Xylophaga dorsalis
- interior / valves left and right 4

Wood piddock
Xylophaga dorsalis
- exterior / valves left and right 1

Wood piddock
Xylophaga dorsalis
- exterior / valves left and right 2

Wood piddock
Xylophaga dorsalis
- exterior / valves left and right 3

Above, images of shells in my own personal collection. Shells featured here were collected in 1997 from wood washed up near Paimpol, on the Atlantic coast of France. Shell size 6.2mm across, specimen featured was purchased from Guido T. Poppe - Philippe Poppe, Conchology, Inc..

Species historically recorded from Cornwall at Falmouth, Lizard and Lands End.

Scientific and European Names:
Xylophaga dorsalis, Pholas xilophaga, Teredo dorsalis (basionym), Wood piddock, Trae-boremusling, Houtboormossel.

Location information provided by the author and from the ERICA records database for Cornwall. Scientific and Common Names used are largely gained from from the WoRMS Database.

Xylophaga dorsalis Wood piddock Marine Bivalve Images
The main objective of this website is in furthering environmental awareness and education through the medium of photography. To increase awareness and access to the wildlife of the region and help
people find and identify it. Sometimes the difference between species is obvious but many species can only be determined by observing microscopic characteristics that are specific to any one species.