Genus Bankia (Noun)
Meaning
Giant shipworms.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- Giant shipworms belong to the genus Bankia, a type of bivalve mollusk that bores into wood.
- Bankia carinata, a species of giant shipworm that can grow up to 5 feet in length, is a common inhabitant of tropical waters.
- The genus Bankia is thought to have originated over 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous period.
- Shipworms of the genus Bankia feed on wood through a process called chemosynthesis, using bacteria to break down cellulose.
- Despite their impressive size, giant shipworms in the genus Bankia have no gut or mouth, relying on their bacterial partners to provide nutrients.