Bacterial symbionts and mineral deposits in the branchial chamber of the hydrothermal vent shrimp Rimicaris exoculata: relationship to moult cycle

Type Article
Date 2008-02
Language English
Author(s) Corbari Laure1, Zbinden Magali2, Cambon-Bonavita Marie-AnneORCID3, Gaill Françoise2, Compere Philippe1
Affiliation(s) 1 : Univ Liege, Unite Morphol Ultrastruct, Lab Morphol Fonct & Evolut, B-4000 Liege, Belgium.
2 : Univ Paris 06, CNRS, UMR Systemat Adaptat & Evolut 7138, F-75252 Paris 05, France.
3 : IFREMER, Lab Microbiol & Biotechnol Extremophiles, Ctr Brest, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
Source Aquatic Biology (1864-7790) (Inter-Research), 2008-02 , Vol. 1 , P. 225-238
DOI 10.3354/ab00024
WOS© Times Cited 37
Keyword(s) Iron oxides, Ectosymbiosis, Moult cycle, Shrimp, Hydrothermal vents
Abstract The shrimp Rimicaris exoculata is considered a primary consumer that dominates the fauna of most Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal ecosystems. The shrimps harbour in their gill chamber an important ectosymbiotic community of chemoautotrophic bacteria associated with iron oxide deposits. The settlement and development of this ectosymbiosis was investigated using microscopy techniques (light microscopy, LM; and scanning, transmission and environmental scanning electron microscopy: SEM and ESEM, respectively) for shrimps from 2 different vent fields (Rainbow, 36 degrees 14.0' N and TAG, 26 degrees 08.0' N). The results revealed a bacterial re-colonisation after each exuviation and a development of the bacterial community in 5 steps in relation to the moult stages, which were used as a reference time scale. In 287 shrimps from both vent fields, pre-ecdysial stages prevailed in the population, suggesting a short anecdysis and high moulting rate, probably to renew the ectosymbiosis. Comparisons with moult cycles of littoral shrimps suggest that the interval between successive exuviations in R. exoculata may be as short as 10 d. The colours of R. exoculata result from accumulation of iron oxide, which forms a bacteria-associated mineral crust in the gill chambers. The close correspondence between moult stages, the development of the ectosymbiont community and shrimp colours indicate that colour could be used to rapidly determine shrimp moult stages.
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Corbari Laure, Zbinden Magali, Cambon-Bonavita Marie-Anne, Gaill Françoise, Compere Philippe (2008). Bacterial symbionts and mineral deposits in the branchial chamber of the hydrothermal vent shrimp Rimicaris exoculata: relationship to moult cycle. Aquatic Biology, 1, 225-238. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00024 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/4626/