The Philippines is a finalist for the International Mollusc of the Year, and representing our country is one of the strangest and rarest species in the world. The antingaw is the first known shipworm that lives within and eats through rock. Closely related to the tamilok and ugaong, it is unique in the shipworm family because it bores through limestone rather than wood.

Mollusc of the year. (2026, April 21). SunStar Cebu, p. 4.