FN Archimer Export Format PT J TI Distribution of bacteria and associated minerals in the gill chamber of the vent shrimp Rimicaris exoculata and related biogeochemical processes BT AF ZBINDEN, M LE BRIS, Nadine GAILL, F COMPERE, P AS 1:1;2:3;3:2;4:2; FF 1:;2:PDG-DOP-DCB-EEP-LEP;3:;4:; C1 UPMC, MNHN, IRD, CNRS, F-75252 Paris 05, France. Univ Liege, Inst Zool, Dept Sci Vie, B-4020 Liege, Belgium. IFREMER, DRO, Dept Environm Protond, F-29280 Plouzane, France. C2 UNIV PARIS 06, FRANCE UNIV LIEGE, BELGIUM IFREMER, FRANCE SI BREST SE PDG-DOP-DCB-EEP-LEP IN WOS Ifremer jusqu'en 2018 copubli-france copubli-europe copubli-univ-france IF 2.052 TC 63 UR https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/10919/7584.pdf LA English DT Article CR ATOS BO Unknown DE ;crustacea;deep sea;moulting cycle;biomineralisation;symbiosis;iron oxidation AB The shrimp Rimicaris exoculata dominates the megafauna of some Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal vent fields. This species harbours a rich bacterial epibiosis inside its gill chamber. At the 'Rainbow' vent site (36degrees 14.0'N), the epibionts are associated with iron oxide deposits. Investigation of both bacteria and minerals by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray microanalysis (EDX) revealed 3 distinct compartments in the gill chamber: (1) the lower pre-branchial chamber, housing bacteria but devoid of minerals; (2) the 'true' branchial chamber, containing the gills and devoid of both bacteria and minerals; and (3) the upper pre-branchial chamber, housing the main ectosymbiotic bacterial community and associated mineral deposits. Our chemical and temperature data indicated that abiotic iron oxidation appears to be kinetically inhibited in the environment of the shrimps, which would explain the lack of iron oxide deposits in the first 2 compartments. We propose that iron oxidation is microbially promoted in the third area. The discrepancy between the spatial distribution of bacteria and minerals suggests that different bacterial metabolisms are involved in the first and third compartments. A possible explanation lies in the modification of physico-chemical conditions downstream of the gills that would reduce the oxygen content and favours the development of bacterial iron-oxidizers in this Fe-II-rich environment. A potential role of such iron-oxidizing symbionts in the shrimp diet is suggested. This would be unusual for hydrothermal ecosystems, in which most previously described symbioses rely on sulphide or methane as an energy source. PY 2004 SO Marine Ecology Progress Series SN 0171-8630 PU Inter-research VL 284 UT 000226518000019 BP 237 EP 251 DI 10.3354/meps284237 ID 10919 ER EF