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Bacteriocytes in the mantle of Lurifax vitreus Warén & Bouchet 2001 (Orbitestellidae): the frist case among heterobranch Gastropoda.

J Moll Stud, 1-4 DOI: 10.1093/mollus/eyu018

Authors/Editors: Gensler H
Haszprunar G
Publication Date: 2014
Type of Publication: Original Papers

Symbiotic chemoautotrophic (usually sulphur- or methane-oxidizing) bacteria housed in vacuoles of so-called bacteriocytes occur frequently in the gills or gut derivatives of molluscs inhabiting hydrothermal vents or cold seeps, or that live in or close to reducing sediments. Such bacteriocytes have been reported in the mantle epithelium of Laevipilina antartica (Tryblidia: Neopilinidae; Haszprunar et al., 1995) and in the gills of representatives of all major clades of the Bivalvia (e.g. Krueger, Dubilier & Cavanaugh, 1996; Distel & Roberts 1997; Duperron 2010; Brissac et al., 2011). Except for several gastropod taxa that inhabit hydrothermal vents or other reducing habitats (reviewed by Sasaki et al., 2010), true bacteriocytes have only been found in the oesophageal glands of the ‘scaly foot gastropod’ (not yet formally named; Neomphalida: Peltospiridae; Goffredi et al., 2005), in a glandular tissue occupying most of the body and mantle haemocoel in lepetellid limpets (Vetigastropoda: Lepetelloidea; cf. Judge & Haszprunar, 2014), in the epithelium of the gill of Hirtopelta (Neomphalida: Peltospiridae; cf. Beck, 2002) and in one family of Caenogastropoda (Loxosomatoidea: Provannidae; Stein et al., 1988; Windoffer & Giere, 1997; Urakawa et al., 2005; Suzuki et al., 2005a, b).

As part of our studies on various families of basal Heterobranchia (Haszprunar et al., 2011; Hawe, Heß & Haszprunar, 2013), we recently examined individuals of the orbitestellid Lurifax vitreus Warén & Bouchet, 2001, which live in the vicinity of hydrothermal vents. The posterior mantle cavity of this species shows a granular and thickened epithelial structure. Since the histology of these structures does not appear to be glandular and is unusual in its position, we investigated its ultrastructure to see if it contained bacteriocytes.

We studied one specimen of Lurifax vitreus (SMNH 43242; Lucky …

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