We hypothesized that ctenophore colloblasts contained a catechol-based adhesive, chemically similar to that found in mussel byssus, because both systems need to adhere to a variety of surfaces in a marine environment.
We observed punctate, green-emitting, spherical granules consistent in appearance with adhesive granules in the colloblasts. In contrast, the non-colloblast regions of the tentacles emitted an unstructured, diffuse blue signal.
2D), also similar to the emission from granules on the colloblasts' exterior (Fig.
Though the granules in the nerve net and in the colloblasts are presumably functionally distinct, their formaldehyde-induced fluorophores have similar emission spectra, with a major peak near 510 nm and multiple minor peaks at longer emission wavelengths.