The role of an internal organic tube lining in the biomineralization of serpulid tubes

Most known serpulid tube ultrastructures in contact with an organic inner tube lining do not show the direction in which they developed. But spherulitic prismatic structures found in the innermost part of the tube wall of Recent Crucigera websteri, C. zygophora, Floriprotis sabiuraensis, and Pyrgopolon ctenactis indicate that the structure grew toward the organic inner tube lining and also toward the tube's lumen. Similar directions of growth for this structure are seen in Hydroides sp. from the Miocene of Austria. Growth towards the tube's lumen is opposite to what one would expect if the organic inner tube lining is being used as a scaffold for the biomineralization of CaCO3.