Serpula himantioides due to a lack of any above ground symptoms of disease. Signs of the pathogen include basidiospores, and fungal masses that are generally dark brown and membranous in the center but become thin white mycelium towards edges of the mass. The brown cubical rot caused by "S. himantioides" resembles the rots of "Phaeolus schweinitzii" and "S. lacrymans". "Serpula himantiodes" is a pre-harvest pathogen that exerts economic impact on lumber supply. It is considered the wild sister species of "S. lacrymans", the pathogen that causes dry rot in wooden building structures. "S. himantioides" is studied most frequently in the context of
Serpula vermicularis urchins "Echinus esculentus" and "Psammechinus miliaris", the brittle star "Ophiothrix fragilis", the starfish "Asterias rubens" and the whelk "Buccinum undatum". Red algae grow on the reef in shallow water. The tunicate "Pyura microcosmus" occurs on these reefs, but is seldom seen in other habitats. A large number of cryptic species of microfauna shelter among the tubes. Predators of the worm include sea urchins, starfish, and the wrasses "Crenilabrus melops" and "Ctenolabrus rupestris". Serpula vermicularis Serpula vermicularis, known by common names including the calcareous tubeworm, fan worm, plume worm or red tube worm, is a species of segmented marine polychaete worm