Parasitic worms in your shellfish lead a creepy but popular lifestyle

Mud blister worms make their homes in the shells of oysters and other shellfish, where they weaken their hosts.

By: Andrew Davinack, Clarkson University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 28, 2026

Words: 997

Last Updated: 1 week, 4 days ago

Body Text Preview

By Andrew Davinack, Clarkson University

If you’re an oyster lover, seeing a shaggy worm slither across your appetizer is revolting – even though such worms are harmless to people. An internet search using the keywords “oyster” and “worm” will bring up a large cache of images, each one less palatable than the next.

As a biologist, I study invasive species including these mud blister worms. Despite their high gross-out factor, their parasitic lifestyles are …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us