Marine bio adhesive: Role for chemosensory recognition in a marine invertebrate

The bioadhesive material secreted by some species in the family Sabellariidae (Polychaeta) serves two functions. The cement attaches hard particles together to form the tube in which the animal lives. Tube‐associated material also provides the chemical signal that is recognized by the planktonic larvae, inducing them to attach and metamorphose, and thus extend the aggregative concretion. A review of the factors affecting larval attachment and metamorphosis and the dynamics of reef formation in the Sabellariidae is presented, with emphasis on Phragmatopoma californica (Fewkes). Data also are presented showing that the ability to initiate a new protective casing is terminated after the first occasion. The bioadhesive secreted by P. californica is a silk‐like protein containing 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) residues. Unlike the stability exhibited by tube‐associated adhesive secretions, the metamorphosis‐inducing stimulus is labile.

Key words:

• Sabellariidae
• Polychaeta
• marine invertebrate larvae
• quinone‐tanned protein
• attachment and metamorphosis
• bioadhesive