The Battle is not to the Strong: Serpulid Reefs in the Lagoon of Orbetello (Tuscany, Italy)

Two serpulid species build reefs in the Lagoon of Orbetello, a poly-hyperhaline coastal pond:Hydroides dianthus (Verrill) and Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Fauvel). The latter species reached higher densities and built the most conspicuous reefs, notwithstanding that the former species had tubes with better biomechanical properties (size, thickness, bulk density and porosity).