Abstract
The shell microstructures of 6 mytilid species from deep-sea hydrothermal vent and cold-water sulfide/methane seep sites is characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Examination of fractured and sectioned specimens reveals similar shell microstructures in distinct arrangements. The shell microstrucctures of the mytilids investigated in this study consist of outer fibrous prismatic and inner nacreous structures, which underlie a periostracal layer. Simple prismatic structure, comprising the adductor and pallial myostraca, is also present. The shell microstructures of these species exhibit similar complexity as microstructures of the previously described vent mussel Bathymadiolus thermophilus Kenk and Wilson, 1985.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 84-89 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Nautilus |
| Volume | 112 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - Oct 15 1998 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Aquatic Science