Phragmatopoma californica

Jensen, R.A. and Morse, D.E., The bioadhesive of Phragmatopoma californica tubes a silk-like cement containing l-DOPA, J. Comp. Physiol. B, 158, 317, 1988. 

Pawlik, J.R., Chemical induction of larval settlement and metamorphosis in the reef-building tube worm Phragmatopoma californica (Polychaeta Sabellariidae), Mar. Biol., 91, 59, 1986. 

In some cases, the nature of the chemical signal is known as well. Larvae of the tube worm Phragmatopoma californica undergo metamorphosis in response to a proteinaceous substance present in the tubes built by conspecific adults.95 Larvae of the sand dollar Dendraster excentricus... 

Figure 12 Synthetic coacervate polymer mimics of Phragmatopoma californica cement maintain adhesion to bovine cortical bone for several months in phosphate-buffered saline. From Shao, H. Bachus, K. N. Stewart, R. J. Macromol. Biosci. 2009, 9, 464. Copyright Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH Co. KGaA. Reproduced with permission.

Jensen, R.A. D.E. Morse. 1984. Intraspecific facilitation of larval recruitment gregarious settlement of the polychaete Phragmatopoma californica (Fewkes). J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 83 107-126. 

Pawlik, J.R., Natural and artificial induction of metamorphosis of Phragmatopoma lapidosa californica (Polychaeta Sabellariidae), with a critical look at the effects of bioactive compounds on marine invertebrate larvae, Bull. Mar. Set, 46, 512, 1990. 

Sabellaria alveolata, a reef-building tube worm from European waters, also settled in response to conspecific tube sand. However, S. alveolata did not metamorphose normally in response to any FFA, and an inducer from the tube sand of these animals was not isolated or identified.84 These larvae were much less discriminating in their choice of substrata than were those of Phragmatopoma lapidosa californica. Larvae of the nongregarious species Sabellaria floridensis did not metamorphose to any greater extent on conspecific tube sand than on control sand. Metamorphosis was also not enhanced upon exposure to FFA.83... 

Thus, questions remain about the natural role of FFA as settlement inducers in Phragmatopoma lapidosa californica, and it is very likely that the FFA are another type of artificial inducer, such as cations, GABA, and organic solvents.8788 Additional research is warranted to resolve the roles of FFA and polymeric proteins containing l-DOPA residues in inducing settlement and metamorphosis of P. 1. californica and to determine whether either or both types of molecules are important in nature. 

Fatty acids have been implicated in the settlement and metamorphosis of the gregarious tube worm Phragmatopoma lapidosa californica, which settles in response to cues deposited in the tube sand cement, and two sea urchins, Pseudocentrotus depressus and Anthocidaris crassispina, which metamorphose in response to eicosapentaenoic acid extracted from the coralline red alga Corallina pilulifera. However, Jensen et al.87 provided good evidence that fatty acids were contaminants that... 

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