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Munir Ahamed J, Dahms HU, Huang YL. Heavy metal tolerance, and metal biosorption by exopolysaccharides produced by bacterial strains isolated from marine hydrothermal vents. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 351:141170. [PMID: 38219989 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The present study highlights heavy metal tolerance, EPS production, and biosorption capacity of four hydrothermal vent bacterial strains, namely Exiguobacterium aquaticum, Mammaliicoccus sciuri, Micrococcus luteus, and Jeotgalicoccus huakuii against As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Pb and Ni. The biosorption assay showed high removal efficiency of As (83%) by E. aquaticum, Cd (95%) by M. sciuri, Cu (94%) by M. luteus, and Ni (89%) by J. huakuii and their produced EPS with these metals in aqueous solution were 84%, 85%, 98%, and 91%, respectively. The maximum EPS yield was attained by optimized medium composition consisting of 1% Xylose, and 1% NaCl at pH 7. In metal-amended conditions, the four bacterial strains showed induced EPS production in the initial concentrations. SEM with EDX and CLSM images showed that the growth and EPS production of bacterial strains were affected by metal ion concentrations. A phenol sulphuric acid method and BCA assay were used to identify both the carbohydrate and total protein content of four extracted EPS. A DPPH assay revealed that EPS influences free radical scavenging and has a highly enhanced synergistic effect with its antioxidant activity. FT-IR analysis of four extracted EPS showed the shifting of peaks in the functional groups of EPS before and after adsorption of metal ions. At pH 5 and after 60 min contact time metal removal efficiency and adsorption capacity increased as calculated for As, Cd, Cu, and Ni by four extracted EPS: (86%, 20 mg/g), (74%, 19 mg/g), (94%, 60 mg/g) and (89%, 32 mg/g) and (89%, 16 mg/g), (85%, 16 mg/g), (96%, 22 mg/g) and (91%, 16 mg/g), respectively. The Langmuir compared to the Freundlich model was found to better represent the adsorption by EPS providing maximum adsorption capacities for As (34.65 mg/g), Cd (52.88 mg/g), Cu (24.91 mg/g), and Ni (58.38 mg/g).
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnthini Munir Ahamed
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hans-Uwe Dahms
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Research Center for Precision Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan.
| | - Yeou Lih Huang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Research Center for Precision Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; College of Professional Studies, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan; Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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Tseng LC, Limviriyakul P, Hwang JS. Macrosymbionts of starfish Echinaster luzonicus (Gray, 1840) in the waters of a volcanic western Pacific island. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278288. [PMID: 36449479 PMCID: PMC9710757 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
During an investigation program of faunal diversity in the shallow reef zone of the active volcanic island off northeastern Taiwan in July and September 2020, numerous individuals of the starfish Echinaster luzonicus (Gray, 1840) were found, and some individuals were found with associated symbionts. Starfish sampling in the 150-m coral reef zone was undertaken at a depth of 8 m through scuba diving. For each type of potential macrosymbiont, both the dorsal and ventral sides were carefully examined. The prevalence of macrosymbionts on the starfish E. luzonicus was recorded. The most common symbiotic organism on E. luzonicus was the ectoparasitic snail Melanella martinii (A. Adams in Sowerby, 1854), followed by the pontoniine shrimp Zenopontonia soror (Nobili, 1904) and the rare polychaete scaleworm Asterophilia carlae Hanley, 1989. The prevalence ratio with host E. luzonicus was low and varied by 8.62% and 4.35%, 6.03% and 0%, and 0.86% and 0.72% in July and September 2020 for M. martinii, Z. soror, and A. carlae, respectively. The present study is the first to discover the scaleworm A. carlae as a macrosymbiont of the tropical starfish E. luzonicus, with a widespread distribution, off Taiwan's northeastern coast, an area influenced by the Kuroshio Current.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Chun Tseng
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Parinya Limviriyakul
- Faculty of Fisheries, Department of Marine Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jiang-Shiou Hwang
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
- Center of Excellence for Ocean Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
- Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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Román A, Tovar-Sánchez A, Roque-Atienza D, Huertas IE, Caballero I, Fraile-Nuez E, Navarro G. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as a tool for hazard assessment: The 2021 eruption of Cumbre Vieja volcano, La Palma Island (Spain). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 843:157092. [PMID: 35779732 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring for assessment of natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, presents a methodological challenge for the scientific community. Here, we present Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as a feasible, precise, rapid and safe tool for real time monitoring of the impacts of a volcanic event during the Cumbre Vieja eruption on La Palma Island, Spain (2021). UAV surveys with optical RGB (Red-Green-Blue), thermal and multispectral sensors, and a water sampling device, were carried out in different areas affected by the lava flow, including the upper volcanic edifice and the lava delta formed on the coastal fringe of the island. Our results have provided useful information for the monitoring of the advance of the lava flow and its environmental consequences during the volcanic emergency. Our data shows how La Palma island's growth, with the formation of a new lava delta of 28 ha and a total volume of lava injected into the sea of 5,138,852 m3. Moreover, our Digital Elevation Model (DEM) simulated, with a 70 % accuracy, the probabilistic simulation of the possible path followed by the lava flow in the vicinity of the fissure from which the magma emanates. In addition, significant changes of seawater physical-chemical parameters were registered in coastal surface waters by the in situ seawater samples collected with the automatic water sampling device of our UAV. The first meters of the water column, due to the instant evaporation of the seawater in contact with the hot lava, produce an increase of temperature and salinity of up to 4-5 °C and up to 5 units, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Román
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 11510 Puerto Real, Spain.
| | - A Tovar-Sánchez
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - D Roque-Atienza
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - I E Huertas
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - I Caballero
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - E Fraile-Nuez
- Canary Islands Oceanographic Centre, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 38180 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - G Navarro
- Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (ICMAN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 11510 Puerto Real, Spain
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Caballero I, Román A, Tovar-Sánchez A, Navarro G. Water quality monitoring with Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 satellites during the 2021 volcanic eruption in La Palma (Canary Islands). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 822:153433. [PMID: 35093350 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, seawater quality was monitored with high-resolution satellite imagery during the 2021 volcanic eruption (September-December) on La Palma Island (Spain), the longest recorded in the history of the island, and the most destructive in the last century in Europe. The Sentinel-2A/B twin satellites and Landsat-8 satellite were jointly used as an optical constellation, which allowed us to successfully characterize the short- and medium-term evolution of the new lava delta and subsequent impact on the seawater. Robust atmospheric and sunglint correction approaches were applied to thoroughly quantify the environmental changes caused on the adjacent coastal waters. The cloud and volcanic ash coverage remained very high over the coast during the event, so restricted information with 14 images (45% of the total scenes) was retrieved from the multi-sensor approach. Nevertheless, the availability of pre-, syn-, and post-eruption satellite products allowed us to map and detect the main water quality variations in the marine environment. On the one hand, during the eruption, a change in the properties of the water quality was observed, with a markedly increased turbidity on the western side of the island near the new lava delta due to the deposition of volcanic ash and material. On the other hand, chlorophyll-a concentration did not significantly increase, algal blooms were not observed, and oligotrophic conditions were not swiftly altered towards eutrophic conditions. This information offered an excellent opportunity to characterize the emplacement of the new lava delta and its impact on the marine environment in La Palma. The present multi-sensor strategy is an excellent opportunity to highlight the potential of remote sensing technology as a relevant and powerful tool for future hazard monitoring and assessment during catastrophes and for a better interpretation of their impact on the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Caballero
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía (ICMAN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avenida República Saharaui, 11519 Puerto Real, Spain.
| | - Alejandro Román
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía (ICMAN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avenida República Saharaui, 11519 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Antonio Tovar-Sánchez
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía (ICMAN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avenida República Saharaui, 11519 Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Gabriel Navarro
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía (ICMAN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avenida República Saharaui, 11519 Puerto Real, Spain
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Wang TW, Lau DCP, Chan TY, Chan BKK. Autochthony and isotopic niches of benthic fauna at shallow-water hydrothermal vents. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6248. [PMID: 35428774 PMCID: PMC9012843 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09839-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The food webs of shallow-water hydrothermal vents are supported by chemosynthetic and photosynthetic autotrophs. However, the relative importance of these two basal resources for benthic consumers and its changes along the physicochemical gradient caused by vent plumes are unknown. We used stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (i.e., δ13C and δ15N) and Bayesian mixing models to quantify the dietary contribution of basal resources to the benthic fauna at the shallow-water vents around Kueishan Island, Taiwan. Our results indicated that the food chains and consumer production at the shallow-water vents were mainly driven by photoautotrophs (total algal contribution: 26–54%) and zooplankton (19–34%) rather than by chemosynthetic production (total contribution: 14–26%). Intraspecific differences in the trophic support and isotopic niche of the benthic consumers along the physicochemical gradient were also evident. For instance, sea anemone Anthopleura sp. exhibited the greatest reliance on chemosynthetic bacteria (26%) and photoautotrophs (66%) near the vent openings, but zooplankton was its main diet in regions 150–300 m (32–49%) and 300–700 m (32–78%) away from the vent mouths. The vent-induced physicochemical gradient structures not only the community but also the trophic support and isotopic niche of vent consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng-Wei Wang
- Institute of Marine Biology and Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Chilung, 202301, Taiwan, ROC.,Department of Bioscience, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, 60004, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Danny C P Lau
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Tin-Yam Chan
- Institute of Marine Biology and Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Chilung, 202301, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Benny K K Chan
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan, ROC.
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Gurunathan R, Rathinam AJ, Hwang JS, Dahms HU. Shallow Hydrothermal Vent Bacteria and Their Secondary Metabolites with a Particular Focus on Bacillus. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:681. [PMID: 34940680 PMCID: PMC8704404 DOI: 10.3390/md19120681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme environments are hostile for most organisms, but such habitats represent suitable settings to be inhabited by specialized microorganisms. A marine shallow-water hydrothermal vent field is located offshore in northeast Taiwan, near the shallow shore of the southeast of Kueishantao Island (121°55' E, 24°50' N). Research on extremophilic microorganisms makes use of the biotechnological potential associated with such microorganisms and their cellular products. With the notion that extremophiles are capable of surviving in extreme environments, it is assumed that their metabolites are adapted to function optimally under such conditions. As extremophiles, they need specific culture conditions, and only a fraction of species from the original samples are recovered in culture. We used different non-selective and selective media to isolate bacterial species associated with the hydrothermal vent crab Xenograpsus testudinatus and the sediments of its habitat. The highest number of colonies was obtained from Zobell marine agar plates with an overall number of 29 genetically distinct isolates. 16sRNA gene sequencing using the Sanger sequencing method revealed that most of the bacterial species belonged to the phylum Firmicutes and the class Bacilli. The present study indicates that hydrothermal vent bacteria and their secondary metabolites may play an important role for the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of the phylum Procaryota.
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Grants
- MOST 107-2621-M-019-001, MOST 108-2621-M-019-003, MOST 109-2621-M-019-002 and MOST 110-2621-M-019-001 Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan.
- 109J13801-51, 110J13801-51 Center of Excellence for Ocean Engineering, NTOU, Taiwan.
- MOST 107-2621-M-037-001, MOST 108-2621-M-037-001, and MOST 109-2621-M-037-001 Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan.
- KMU-TC108A01 and KMU-TC108A02 Kaohsiung Medical University Research Center, Taiwan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Revathi Gurunathan
- Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan;
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Arthur James Rathinam
- Department of Marine Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli 620024, India
| | - Jiang-Shiou Hwang
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
- Center of Excellence for Ocean Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
- Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
| | - Hans-Uwe Dahms
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
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Gurunathan R, Huang B, Ponnusamy VK, Hwang JS, Dahms HU. Novel recombinant keratin degrading subtilisin like serine alkaline protease from Bacillus cereus isolated from marine hydrothermal vent crabs. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12007. [PMID: 34099743 PMCID: PMC8185006 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90375-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial secondary metabolites from extreme environments like hydrothermal vents are a promising source for industrial applications. In our study the protease gene from Bacillus cereus obtained from shallow marine hydrothermal vents in the East China Sea was cloned, expressed and purified. The protein sequence of 38 kDa protease SLSP-k was retrieved from mass spectrometry and identified as a subtilisin serine proteinase. The novel SLSP-k is a monomeric protein with 38 amino acid signal peptides being active over wide pH (7-11) and temperature (40-80 °C) ranges, with maximal hydrolytic activities at pH 10 and at 50 °C temperature. The hydrolytic activity is stimulated by Ca2+, Co2+, Mn2+, and DTT. It is inhibited by Fe2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, EDTA, and PMSF. The SLSP-k is stable in anionic, non-anionic detergents, and solvents. The ability to degrade keratin in chicken feather and hair indicates that this enzyme is suitable for the degradation of poultry waste without the loss of nutritionally essential amino acids which otherwise are lost in hydrothermal processing. Therefore, the proteinase is efficient in environmental friendly bioconversion of animal waste into fertilizers or value added products such as secondary animal feedstuffs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Revathi Gurunathan
- Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, 807, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, 807, Taiwan
| | - Bin Huang
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, 807, Taiwan
- Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Vinoth Kumar Ponnusamy
- Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, 807, Taiwan
- Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, 807, Taiwan
| | - Jiang-Shiou Hwang
- Institute of Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan.
- Center of Excellence for Ocean Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan.
- Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan.
| | - Hans-Uwe Dahms
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, 807, Taiwan.
- Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, 807, Taiwan.
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung City, 804, Taiwan.
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Tseng LC, Yu PY, Hwang JS. Distribution and sexual dimorphism of the crab Xenograpsus testudinatus from the hydrothermal vent field of Kueishan Island, northeastern Taiwan. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230742. [PMID: 32214356 PMCID: PMC7098652 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The sulphur-rich and acidic vent waters of a shallow hydrothermal vent field next to Kueishan Island in Taiwan provide a specific and generally toxic environment. Among only a few aquatic organisms able to survive there, the grapsoid crab Xenograpsus testudinatus is the dominant species with a high population density in the vent area. Here we study the gender-specific distribution, morphological traits, and relationship of wet weight vs. carapace width of this crab. A total of 1120 individuals including 831 male and 289 female (included 15 ovigerous) were examined during August and September in 2011 and May and September in 2012. Except in August 2011, there are no significant differences in the distribution of X. testudinatus in the hydrothermal vent area from the vent spout during most months. Among crabs, the weight of male (6.87 ± 2.90 g) was significantly heavier than that of females (4.17 ± 1.25 g) (p < 0.001, Student’s t-test). As for the wet weight of crabs, significant differences were noted in both the length of chela and the width of carapace between males and females. Sexual dimorphism of X. testudinatus is evident in three morphological traits. Pearson’s correlation showed a significant and positive correlation (p < 0.001) of wet weight, width of carapace and length of chela of the two sexes. Ovigerous crabs (shortest carapace width: 1.93 cm) were present in the specimen collected from August 2011 and May 2012. The ovigerous crabs were not found in the samples collected from September in both years 2011 and 2012, indicating that reproduction may have ceased during the period of sampling. The present results suggested that the reproductive period of X. testudinatus was before September. The distribution pattern and sexual dimorphism of X. testudinatus provided a better understanding of the idiobiology of this dominant metazoan in the hydrothermal vent area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Chun Tseng
- Institute of Marine Biology, College of Life Sciences, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Pin-Yi Yu
- Institute of Marine Biology, College of Life Sciences, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Jiang-Shiou Hwang
- Institute of Marine Biology, College of Life Sciences, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
- Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
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