Kuphus

Kuphus
Temporal range: 25–0 Ma Oligocene to Present
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Myida
Superfamily: Pholadoidea
Family: Teredinidae
Genus: Kuphus
Guettard, 1770[1]
Species

Kuphus is a genus of shipworms, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Teredinidae. While there are four extinct species in the genus,[2] the only extant species is Kuphus polythalamius (also incorrectly spelled as Kuphus polythalamia).[3][4] It is the longest bivalve mollusc in the world, where the only known permanent natural habitat is Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat in the Philippines.[5]

Members of this genus secrete calcareous tubes. Based only on the calcareous tube, this species was originally thought by Linnaeus to be a tube worm, so he placed it in the genus Serpula. Despite the fact that Kuphus polythalamius is now known to be a mollusc, its common name is the giant tube worm.[6] Since 1981 however, the name "giant tube worm" has also been applied to the hydrothermal vent species Riftia pachyptila, which is indeed a worm, an annelid.

  1. ^ Rosenberg, Gary (2010). "Kuphus Guettard, 1770". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2012-01-11.
  2. ^ Maempel, George Zammit. "Kuphus melitensis, a new teredinid bivalve from the late Oligocene Lower Coralline Limestone of Malta." Mededelingen van de Werkgroep voor Tertiaire en Kwartaire Geologie 30.3/4 (1993): 155–175. [1]
  3. ^ Marine species database. Retrieved 8/Abr/2020
  4. ^ Mollusca Database. Retrieved 8/Abr/2020
  5. ^ Bayle, Alfred (April 18, 2017). Rare giant shipworm mollusk found in Philippine waters. Inquirer.net. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  6. ^ Kuphus polythalamia Archived 2015-02-07 at the Wayback Machine Tideline. Retrieved 2012-01-12.