Dry rot be more distinctive in these species than water translocation. Water translocated in this fashion carries nutrients to the extremities of the organism; not, as is sometimes inferred, to simply render dry timber wet enough to attack. Coggins goes into more detail about water movement in "Serpula lacrymans". The perpetual saturation of wood with water also inhibits dry rot, as does perpetual dryness. "Dry rot" would appear to be a paradoxical term seemingly indicating decay of a substance by a fungus without the presence of water. However, its historical usage dates back to the distinction between decay of cured wood in
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