13C/12C ratios in marine invertebrates from reducing sediments: confirmation of nutritional importance of chemoautotrophic endosymbiotic bacteria.

Spiro, B., Greenwood, P. B., Southward, A. J. and DANDO, P. R. 1986 13C/12C ratios in marine invertebrates from reducing sediments: confirmation of nutritional importance of chemoautotrophic endosymbiotic bacteria.. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 28. 233-240.

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Abstract/Summary

The carbon isotope composition (dl3C) of the tissues of benthic invertebrates usually ranges from - 16 to -20 ‰. In contrast we report that several common bivalve molluscs belonging to the superfamily Lucinacea and several small species of Pogonophora show much greater depletions, ranging from -23 to -31 ‰ in the bivalves and from -35 to -46 ‰ in the pogonophores. These bivalves and pogonophores live in reducing sediments where the concentration of dissolved sulphide is low,usually < 1 µM. The gills of the bivalves and the trophosome tissue of the pogonophores contain intracellular or sub-cuticular bacteria. The bacteria are autotrophs, as shown by ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase activity of extracts of the bacteria-containing tissues. Comparisons of the 613C values of the bacteria-containing regions and the rest of the tissues indicate substantial transfer of organic carbon, half or more of the nutritional needs of the hosts. The organic carbon is produced by fixation of CO, by the autotrophic bacteria, which oxidize reduced inorganic compounds, notably sulphide, to obtainenergy for the process. Similar depletions of 13C were previouslt reported for other autotrophic symbiont-containing bivalves that live in habitats where dissolved sulphide concentrations are 2 or 3 orders of magnitude higher than in the sediments analysed here. This form of nutrition, involving symbiosis with autotrophic bacteria, is evidently not dependent on high levels of dissolved sulphide.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Subjects:	Chemistry Ecology and Environment Marine Sciences Zoology
Divisions:	Marine Biological Association of the UK > Other (MBA)
Depositing User:	Professor Paul Dando
Date made live:	04 Oct 2022 11:39
Last Modified:	04 Oct 2022 11:39
URI:	https://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/9801

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