Gribble in the context of "Isopod"

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⭐ Core Definition: Gribble

A gribble (/ˈɡrɪbəl/) or gribble worm is any of about 56 species of marine isopod from the family Limnoriidae. They are mostly pale white and small (1–4 millimetres or 0.04–0.16 inches long) crustaceans, although Limnoria stephenseni from subantarctic waters can reach 10 mm (0.4 in).

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👉 Gribble in the context of Isopod

Isopoda is an order of crustaceans. Members of this group are collectively called isopods and include both aquatic species such as gribbles and terrestrial species such as woodlice. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons, two pairs of antennae, seven pairs of jointed limbs on the thorax, and five pairs of branching appendages on the abdomen that are used in respiration. Females brood their young in a pouch under their thorax called the marsupium.

Isopods have various feeding methods: some are scavengers and detritivores, eating dead or decaying plant and animal matter; others are grazers or filter feeders, a few are predators, and some are internal or external parasites, mostly of fish. Aquatic species are mostly benthic, living on the bottom of water bodies, but some taxa can swim for short distances. Terrestrial forms move around by crawling and tend to be found in cool, moist places. Some species are able to roll themselves into a ball (known as volvation) as a defense mechanism or to conserve moisture like species in the family Armadillidiidae, commonly called the pillbugs.

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Gribble in the context of Driftwood

Driftwood is a wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. It is part of beach wrack.

In some waterfront areas, driftwood is a major nuisance. However, the driftwood provides shelter and food for birds, fish and other aquatic species as it floats in the ocean. Gribbles, shipworms and bacteria decompose the wood and gradually turn it into nutrients that are reintroduced to the food web. Sometimes, the partially decomposed wood washes ashore, where it also shelters birds, plants, and other species. Driftwood can become the foundation for sand dunes.

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