Host-symbiont interaction between the polychaete Branchipolynoe seepensis and the vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus in response to metal accumulation in the mid-Atlantic-ridge

Abstract

Hydrothermal vents are extreme environments rich in biodiversity. The polychaete Branchipolymoe seepensis subsists in the palleal cavity of the mussel vent Bathymodiolus azoricus. These scale-worms absorb metal particles deposited in mussel gills surface and their presence has been associated with local environmental characteristics. The goal of this work was to establish a host-symbiont relationship between these two species using oxidative stress as an endpoint in response to metal accumulation.