volcanoes of the deep!!

[amazingbiologirl]

has anyone heard of the volcanoes of the deep? about the underwater volcanoes with fish actually living in the sumwhere around 700 degree water!! soo cool!! does anyone else have info on it??

 

[rhadamanthus]

has anyone heard of the volcanoes of the deep? about the underwater volcanoes with fish actually living in the sumwhere around 700 degree water!! soo cool!! does anyone else have info on it??

Yep. It is very cool. I remember seeing a special on it on TV a few years ago. I remember the shrimp right by the vents. They are the only known animals to not utlize the suns energy for their survival. I'll see if I can find any links on em.

Rhad

 

[archman]

I remember the shrimp right by the vents. They are the only known animals to not utlize the suns energy for their survival.

Er... there are others. Alvinocaris is the common shrimp with the photosensitive bands on it's back. It's been documented to "go blind" from the lights of submersibles visiting hydrothermal vents.

Then there's Riftia and it's related vestimentiferan pals. They're the giant deep sea tube worms of fame, and the most publicized critters. Their smaller cousins the pogonophorans are also chemosynthetic, but prefer cold seeps rather than hydrothermal vents.

Various clams such as Calyptogenea and Vesicomyids are also chemosynthetic, harboring sulfide-fixing bacteria in their mantle tissues. Large clam beds surround various cold seeps in some of my research sites.

The discovery of a snail with a metallic foot covering (operculum) at a vent community was recently reported. I don't recall what it ate.

Hesiocaeca methanicola was discovered in the Gulf of Mexico in the 1980's. It lives off of frozen methane deposits, and is dubbed the "ice worm".

The very recent discovery of a new worm group living off of whale bones made headlines this summer. They have green-colored "roots" that harbor specialized bacteria to break down the bone material.

Many, many other species make their homes in chemosynthetic communities... these are just a few off the top of my head. I have photos of many that haven't even been formally described, and probably not yet named. I don't specialize in chemosynthetic communities, but they "interfere" with my research sites on occasion and I have to account for their activity.

Cindy Lee Van Dover published an excellent book on hydrothermal vent ecology. You can pick up "The Ecology of Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents" online via amazon or barnes and nobles. Hmmm... maybe I should pick up a copy.

 

[amazingbiologirl]

woot woot thanks!! it was funny cause on the volcanoes of the deep i-max the tube worms and another worm thingy i cant remember the name were white and red......it looked like christmas!

 

[archman]

it was funny cause on the volcanoes of the deep i-max the tube worms and another worm thingy i cant remember the name were white and red......it looked like christmas!

That's Riftia pachyptila, drama queen of hydrothermal vent communities. Hmmm... let me Google a website with photos... here's one.
http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/curious/caOc96KR.html

 

[rhadamanthus]

Sorry, should have been more specific. The shrimp are cool. The vent communities are the only known communities that don't use the sun..

Rhad

 

[archman]

Sorry, should have been more specific. The shrimp are cool. The vent communities are the only known communities that don't use the sun..
Rhad

eek! I recommend a bit more reading up on chemosynthetic communities rhadamanthus. Hydrothermal vents are merely the most popularly publicized. Here are some others.

1. Cold Hydrocarbon Seeps (probably the most common)
2. Methane Seeps (some people lump 'em with the first group)
3. Brine Pools/Seeps
4. Deadfall (oft argued)