Creature able to wreck a ship (5)
I believe the answer is:
aphis
'creature' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both animals as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'able to wreck a ship' is the wordplay.
'able' becomes 'a' (this might be a standard abbreviation which I don't know about).
'to wreck' is an anagram indicator.
'ship' with letters rearranged gives 'phis'.
'a'+'phis'='APHIS'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for aphis that I've seen before include "Plant louse" , "Sap-sucking garden pest" , "Greenfly" , "Small insect" , "sucker?" .)