The European Pileworm, a Dangerous Marine Borer 13 



Francisco Bay, the European pileworm may survive for long periods 

 and do great destruction where the salinity of the water at no time 

 rises above 1006 (4, p. 74). It makes little difference if the water 

 becomes absolutely fresh at each low tide; the teredo merely pulls in 

 its siphons and, plugging the opening into its burrow with the pallets, 

 it awaits the more salty water coming in with the flood tide before 

 beginning again to feed. According to Dr. Kofoid, Teredo navalis 

 in pieces of wood lived for 8 days in running fresh water in San 

 Francisco. 



The salinity of the water at many points in New Jersey from which 

 oysters are shipped is sufficiently high to permit the pileworm to do 

 untold damage. Should it once gain a foothold at the mouth of 

 Maurice River, for instance, the vast system of wharves, piling and 

 oyster floats might be wiped out in a single season. 



This is not a fanciful dream. This very catastrophe visited the 

 Southern Pacific Railroad Terminal in San Francisco Bay. Three 

 piles were drawn for examination in June, 1921, and showed no 

 Teredo; in August the entire structure, worth several millions of dol- 

 lars floated downstream, the piling cut off at the mudline by Teredo 

 navalis. 



The salinity of the water at the mouth of Maurice River is well 

 above that capable of supporting the life of Teredo navalis, in fact it 

 is of such a salinity that oysters set and grow to maturity for some 

 distance up the river above the point where the wharves are located. 



It cannot be urged too strongly that the Central Railroad of New 

 Jersey and the Pennsylvania Railroad should draw some of the piling 

 at Maurice River and at Bivalve and conduct a thorough examination. 

 Let the pileworm once gain a foothold and the great extent of piling- 

 wharves, and oyster floats will be threatened with destruction. What 

 has just been said of the mouth of Maurice River applies equally as 

 well to all similar regions where unprotected piling occurs. 



The teredo attacks most heavily just above the mudline, partly be- 

 cause the water here is of higher salinity than that at the surface and 

 possibly also for other reasons. Any inspection, to be of value, there- 

 fore must be conducted by a diver, or better yet, piling should be 

 pulled and sawn into 2-foot sections for examination. 



Means of Protection 



Since an ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure, it 

 behooves all dock owners, marine engineers, shipping men, fishermen, 

 and oyster growers to be on the alert for the first signs of invasion 

 by the European pileworm. Any infested wood should be removed 

 immediately, and old vessels, discarded wharfing, and other abandoned 

 wooden structures should be carried away to avoid a possible source 

 of infection of nearby structures. One infested piling is a menace 

 to all others in the neighborhood. If you find wood infested with 

 borers get in touch at once with Mr. R. T. Betts, Chief Engineer, 

 Robbins-Ripley Co., 50 Church Street, New York City, who is Chair- 



