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The biofouling tubeworm Hydroides elegans

Nature Methods volume 22, pages 1607–1609 (2025)Cite this article

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The globally distributed marine tubeworm Hydroides elegans is emerging as a powerful model for studying bacteria-induced metamorphosis, and offers insights into developmental biology, marine ecology and host–microbe interactions.

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Fig. 1: Hydroides elegans.
Fig. 2: An expanding molecular toolkit for Hydroides.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (1942251, N.J.S.), the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF9344, N.J.S.; https://doi.org/10.37807/GBMF9344), the Office of Naval Research (N00014-20-1-2120, N.J.S.), the National Institutes of Health, NIGMS (R35GM146722, N.J.S.), and the CSU Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST, COAST-GDP-2025-003, N.J.S.). E.D. and M.V.F. are fellows of the Rees-Stealy Research Foundation.

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  1. Department of Biology and Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Morgan V. Farrell, Emily Darin & Nicholas J. Shikuma

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  1. Morgan V. Farrell
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  2. Emily Darin
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  3. Nicholas J. Shikuma
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Correspondence to Nicholas J. Shikuma.

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N.J.S. has a financial interest in Mbiotics Inc. E.D., M.V.F. and N.J.S. are co-inventors on a provisional US patent application entitled “Genetically Engineered Marine Bacteria for Biomaterial Production, Probiotic Use in Aquaculture and Marine Environmental Restoration” and assigned to San Diego State University Research Foundation.

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Farrell, M.V., Darin, E. & Shikuma, N.J. The biofouling tubeworm Hydroides elegans. Nat Methods 22, 1607–1609 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-025-02765-5

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