Retinal Anatomy of New Bresiliid Shrimp from the Lucky Strike and Broken Spur Hydrothermal Vent Fields on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Author(s):  
R.O. Kuenzler ◽  
J.T. Kwasniewski ◽  
R.N. Jinks ◽  
R.C. Lakin ◽  
B.A. Battelle ◽  
...  

The 1989 discovery of a large dorsal eye on the hydrothermal vent shrimp, Rimicaris exoculata, debunked the prevailing opinion that all animals living around deep hydrothermal vents were blind. Recent dives with DSV ‘Alvin’ recovered new bresiliid shrimp [Chorocaris (Lucky Strike) and Chorocaris (Broken Spur)] from two new vent fields on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The Lucky Strike species has recently been named Chorocaris fortunata and may be the same as the Broken Spur species - the retinal morphologies reported here are very similar. Like R. exoculata, C. fortunata has a visual apparatus adapted to the very dim light of its environment. Although in both species enlarged, non-imaging eyes appear to have evolved from the stalked compound eyes typical of caridean shrimp, those of C. fortunata are forward-facing whilst that of R. exoculata is located dorsally. The massive array of photosensitive membrane (rhabdom) of C. fortunata lies beneath a smooth cornea within a matt, white, reflecting matrix and occupies 80% of the available volume of the photoreceptors compared to the expected 10–15% of shallow water decapods. All screening pigment is located out of the light path at the bottom of the retina. There is no ultrastructural evidence for cyclic rhabdom shedding or renewal. Thus the cellular organization of C. fortunata is remarkably similar to that of R. exoculata and distinct from its surface-dwelling relatives. This suggests that in these species imaging optics have been sacrificed to achieve the increased visual sensitivity necessary to detect the very dim light emitted from the throats of the black smoker chimneys around which they live

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 1097-1108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darrison N. Wharton ◽  
Robert N. Jinks ◽  
Erik D. Herzog ◽  
Barbara-Anne Battelle ◽  
Leonard Kass ◽  
...  

The bresiliid shrimp Alvinocaris markensis is a predator that inhabits the base of sulphide mounds built by the black smoker chimneys of active hydrothermal vents at the Snake Pit site on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Casual examination of animals collected with theDSV ‘Alvin’ suggests that, like other biesiliid shrimp from hydrothermal vents, the eyes of this species are adapted for vision in very dim light. However, examination of the structure and ultrastructure of eyes of animals collected and immediately fixed shows that the expected massive array of photoreceptors is partially or completely missing. The eye is enlarged, its dioptric apparatus has disappeared, its screening pigment is essentially gone, and its reflecting pigment cells have formed an enlarged mass of white diffusing cells behind the expected layer of photoreceptors. In half of the animals examined, there were no recognizable photoreceptors in the retina, and in the remaining animals there were only scattered photoreceptors with poorly organized microvillar arrays of photosensitive membrane. We conclude that this species is blind despite some retinal adaptations for vision in very dim light. Apparently, the ambient light of this animal's environment is below the quit point (the minimum level that can be exploited) so that the retina has begun to degenerate by losing its photoreceptors.


Author(s):  
I. Martins ◽  
V. Costa ◽  
F. Porteiro ◽  
A. Cravo ◽  
R.S. Santos

Mercury determinations were carried out in mussels (Bathymodiolus azoricus) from three Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal vents (Lucky Strike, Menez Gwen and Rainbow) and shrimps (Rimicaris exoculata and Mirocaris fortunata) from Rainbow. Among the three hydrothermal vents, mussels of Menez Gwen show the highest levels of total Hg and comparing mussels and shrimps from Rainbow the former show more Hg than shrimps. Mussels from different hydrothermal vents are exposed to different kinds of environment which may result in distinct bioaccumulation processes. Detoxification processes in shrimps are related to the low concentrations found. When compared with coastal species from unpolluted sites, mussels show higher concentrations of total Hg and shrimps lower levels. The methyl-mercury concentrations found were very low, not exceeding the detection limit of the technique.


Zootaxa ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 1187 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
KIM LARSEN ◽  
MAGDALENA BŁAÓEWICZ-PASZKOWYCZ ◽  
MARINA R. CUNHA

The tanaidacean fauna from the hydrothermal vents in the Lucky Strike Field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is examined. The material reveals species belonging to the genera Agathotanais, Apseudes, Leviapseudes, Sphyrapus, Armaturatanais, Leptognathiella, Mesotanais, Pseudotanais and Typhlotanais. One new typhlotanaid genus, Obesutanais, and five new species, Armaturatanais atlanticus, Obesutanais sigridae, Mesotanais styxis, Leptognathiella fragilis, and Typhlotanais incognitus, are described.


2000 ◽  
Vol 355 (1401) ◽  
pp. 1151-1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven C. Chamberlain

Bresiliid shrimp from hydrothermal vents on the Mid–Atlantic Ridge have non–imaging eyes adapted for photodetection in light environments of very low intensity. Comparison of retinal structures between both vent shrimp and surface–dwelling shrimp with imaging eyes, and between juvenile and adult vent shrimp, suggests that vent shrimp have evolved from ancestors that lived in a light environment with bright cyclic lighting. Whether the vent shrimp live in swarms and have large dorsal eyes or live in sparse groupings and have large anterior eyes, the basic retinal adaptations are the same across species. Retinal adaptations in adult vent shrimp include the loss of dioptrics, enlargement of both the rhabdomeral segment of the photoreceptors and the light–sensitive rhabdomere therein, attenuation of the arhabdomeral segment of the photoreceptors, reduction of black screening pigment, development of a white diffusing layer behind the photoreceptors, and the loss of rhabdom turnover.


1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 1149-1150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thierry Comtet ◽  
Marcel Le Pennec ◽  
Daniel Desbruyères

Histological sections of the gonad of Bathymodiolus azoricus from the Lucky Strike and Menez Gwen hydrothermal vent fields (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) demonstrated a spawning event in this species in May 1994, synchronous between the two vent fields located 60 km apart, and a sexual pause in gametogenesis. As reported for other vent mytilid species, B. azoricus from Lucky Strike and Menez Gwen could exhibit hermaphroditism.


Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4459 (2) ◽  
pp. 301
Author(s):  
MANUEL BISCOITO ◽  
LUIZ SALDANHA

Gaidropsarus mauli, new species, is described from the Lucky Strike Hydrothermal vent site (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) and from the Bay of Biscay. It is distinguished from congeners by a combination of characters such as the number of vertebrae, the size of the first dorsal-fin ray, the profile of the head and the shape of the snout, in dorsal view, the size and the position of the eyes, the length of the pelvic fins, the shape of the pectoral fins, and the length of the lateral line. A comparison with the other 13 valid species of the genus is presented. 


1997 ◽  
Vol 148 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 69-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Langmuir ◽  
S. Humphris ◽  
D. Fornari ◽  
C. Van Dover ◽  
K. Von Damm ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
A.V. Gebruk ◽  
E.C. Southward ◽  
H. Kennedy ◽  
A.J. Southward

Five species of bresilioid shrimp were investigated at seven hydrothermal sites on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Menez Gwen, Lucky Strike, Rainbow, Broken Spur, TAG, Snake Pit and Logatchev. Samples were prepared for analysis of stable isotopes, elemental composition and lipids. Shrimp behaviour was observed from the submersible ‘Alvin’ and in the laboratory aboard RV ‘Atlantis’. The distribution and zonation of the shrimp species was recorded. Juvenile shrimp of all species arrive at the vents carrying reserves of photosynthetic origin, built-up in the pelagic larval stages. These reserves are used while the shrimp metamorphose to the adult form and, in Rimicaris exoculata and Chorocaris chacei, while they develop epibiotic bacteria supporting structures, the modified mouthparts and the inside of the carapace. The main food of adult R. exoculata is filamentous bacteria that grow on these structures. The intermediate sizes of C. chacei also feed on such bacteria, but the final stage gets some food by scavenging or predation. Mirocaris species scavenge diverse sources; they are not trophically dependent on either R. exoculata or mussels. Adults of Alvinocaris markensis are predators of other vent animals, including R. exoculata. The dense swarms of R. exoculata, with their exosymbionts, can be compared to endosymbiont-containing animals such as Bathymodiolus and the vestimentiferan tube-worms of the Pacific vents. Such associations, whether endo- or ectosymbiotic, may be necessary for the development of flourishing communities at hydrothermal vents.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 160829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anni Djurhuus ◽  
Svein-Ole Mikalsen ◽  
Helge-Ansgar Giebel ◽  
Alex D. Rogers

There are still notable gaps regarding the detailed distribution of microorganisms between and within insular habitats such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents. This study investigates the community composition of black smoker vent microorganisms in the Southern Hemisphere, and changes thereof along a spatial and chemical gradient ranging from the vent plume to surrounding waters. We sampled two hydrothermal vent fields, one at the South West Indian Ridge (SWIR), the other at the East Scotia Ridge (ESR). Samples were collected across vent fields at varying vertical distances from the origin of the plumes. The microbial data were sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq platform for the 16SrRNA gene. A substantial amount of vent-specific putative chemosynthetic microorganisms were found, particularly in samples from focused hydrothermal venting. Common vent-specific organisms from both vent fields were the genera Arcobacter , Caminibacter and Sulfurimonas from the Epsilonproteobacteria and the SUP05 group from the Gammaproteobacteria. There were no major differences in microbial composition between SWIR and ESR for focused plume samples. However, within the ESR the diffuse flow and focused samples differed significantly in microbial community composition and relative abundance. For Epsilonproteobacteria, we found evidence of niche-specificity to hydrothermal vent environments. This taxon decreased in abundance by three orders of magnitude from the vent orifice to background water. Epsilonproteobacteria distribution followed a distance–decay relationship as vent-effluents mixed with the surrounding seawater. This study demonstrates strong habitat affinity of vent microorganisms on a metre scale with distinct environmental selection.


2010 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 416-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Colaço ◽  
J. Blandin ◽  
M. Cannat ◽  
T. Carval ◽  
V. Chavagnac ◽  
...  

Abstract Colaço, A., Blandin, J., Cannat, M., Carval, T., Chavagnac, V., Connelly, D., Fabian, M., Ghiron, S., Goslin, J., Miranda, J. M., Reverdin, G., Sarrazin, J., Waldmann, C., and Sarradin, M. 2011. MoMAR-D: a technological challenge to monitor the dynamics of the Lucky Strike vent ecosystem. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 416–424. The MoMAR (monitoring the Mid-Atlantic Ridge) project was initiated in 1998 by the InterRidge programme to promote and coordinate long-term multidisciplinary monitoring of hydrothermal vents at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). The major objective of the project is to study vent ecosystem dynamics using a multidisciplinary approach from geophysics to microbiology over a period of a few decades. MoMAR-D is a demonstration project of MoMAR, partially funded by the European network of excellence ESONET (http://www.esonet-noe.org/). MoMAR-D aims to deploy and manage a multidisciplinary observing system at the Lucky Strike vent field for 1 year. This large hydrothermal field is located at the centre of one of the most volcanically active segments of the MAR. The project has been set up to monitor this region to capture evidence of volcanic events, observe interactions between faulting, magmatism, and hydrothermal circulations, and to evaluate the potential impacts of these environmental factors on the unusual communities colonizing hydrothermal vents. The MoMAR-D infrastructure consists of two sea monitoring nodes (SEAMON) acoustically linked to a surface buoy with satellite communication to a land-based station. The first node will be mainly dedicated to geophysical studies, whereas the second will focus on ecological studies and chemical fluxes. The infrastructure should have been deployed in September 2010 during the MoMARSAT cruise.


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