Bottom fauna associated with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bathymodiolus azoricus</Emphasis> (Mytilidae) mussel beds in the hydrothermal fields of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge |
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| Authors: | S V Galkin E I Goroslavskaya |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, IMAR Centre of the University of the Azores, Cais de Santa Cruz, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal;(2) Department of Stratigraphy and Paleontology, University of Granada, Avenida Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain;(3) Ecophysiology Laboratory, Centre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas, no. 177, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal;(4) Physiology Lab, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, 4099-003 Porto, Portugal |
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| Abstract: | The structure of the assemblages associated with the mussel aggregations of Bathymodiolus azoricus was investigated. The mussel beds were found on the hydrothermal vent fields on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (the Menez Gwen, Lucky
Strike, and Rainbow areas) at the depths of 850–2400 m. The community structure of the mussel bed assemblages varied between
the studied areas. Large number of species was unique to Menez Gwen mussel beds; the most observed taxa were not specialized
hydrothermal species. All the other, nonunique species were found for the Lucky Strike region. The lowest mussel assemblage
structure evenness was observed in the shallowest area, the Menez Gwen area (850 m depth). We assume that two types of mussel
assemblages—nematode-dominated and copepod-dominated ones—exist in the Lucky Strike field. The assemblages of B. azoricus differ significantly from the assemblages of B. thermophilus inhabiting the Pacific hydrothermal vents. |
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