In situ growth of the vestimentiferan Ridgeia piscesae living in highly diffuse flow environments in the main Endeavour Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge
Urcuyo, I.A.; Massoth, G.J.; Macdonald, I.R.; Fisher, C.R. (1998). In situ growth of the vestimentiferan Ridgeia piscesae living in highly diffuse flow environments in the main Endeavour Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Cah. Biol. Mar. 39(3-4): 267-270. https://dx.doi.org/10.21411/CBM.A.F082E74D In: Cahiers de Biologie Marine. Station Biologique de Roscoff: Paris. ISSN 0007-9723; e-ISSN 2262-3094, more Also appears in:(1998). Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Biology: Funchal, Madeira, Portugal 20-24 October 1997. Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 39(3-4). Station Biologique de Roscoff: Roscoff. 219-392 pp., more |   |
| Authors | | Top | - Urcuyo, I.A.
- Massoth, G.J.
- Macdonald, I.R.
- Fisher, C.R.
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| Abstract | At many hydrothermal vents and hydrocarbon seep locations vestimentiferans are an ecosystem structuring organism. The vestimentiferan Ridgeia piscesae Jones, 1985 is one of the most abundant macrofauna present at the vent sites of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, and due to its endosymbiotic relationship with chemoautotrophic bacteria can be characterized as a primary producer. The tub-worms' tubes provide surface for colonization and the tube-worm aggregations provide refuge for other vent-endemic micro and macro fauna. The wide tolerance of habitat conditions seems to be the exception, rather than the rule, among vestimentiferan species. For example, in sharp contrast to R. piscesae, the East Pacific Rise vestimentiferan Riftia pachyptila Jones, 1981 is only found in areas of relatively strong and continuous diffuse hydrothermal flow, and high sulphur availability (Fisher et al., 1988). R. pachyptila not only requires a high level of diffuse flow for survival but it also demonstrates very fast growth. This species has been observed to increase its tube length by more than 1 metre over a 2 year period and has been referred to as the fastest growing invertebrate in the planet (Lutz et al., 1994). However, it should be noted that tube growth in this species is not equivalent to tissue growth, since R. pachyptila does not inhabit the entire length of its tube. At the other end of the environmental and growth spectrum, vestimentiferans from the Gulf of Mexico hydrocarbon seeps grow very slowly (< 1cm/year) (Fisher et al., 1997). A primary objective of our ongoing studies on the main Endeavour Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge is to measure the in situ growth rates of the different R. piscesae morphotypes living in a variety of different diffuse flow habitats. Here we report some preliminary results of a growth study on the long-skinny morphotype. |
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