Keelmite

Description:

Keelmites are the bane of the lazy ship captain. The egg clutches of these aquatic invertebrates are almost indistinguishable from ordinary barnacles, and any ship that is not regularly scraped risks a dangerous infestation. If a Keelmite matriarch lays her eggs on the hull of a ship, the Keelmite pupae will grow for a season on the outer hull until the right water temperature is reached, at which point dozens, or even hundreds of them will begin chewing their way through the hull. The rate at which these developing creatures chew through wood is remarkably consistent, and even after months of the eggs being laid, the creatures will tend to all compromise the hull with a window of less than an hour. While a single Keelmite is no real threat, a couple dozen of them chewing through the bottom of a ship within minutes of each other creates a big problem for everyone aboard.