Abstract
Hydrothermal vents in the Southern Ocean are the physiologically most isolated chemosynthetic environments known. Here, we describe Kiwa tyleri sp. nov., the first species of yeti crab known from the Southern Ocean. Kiwa tyleri belongs to the family Kiwaidae and is the visually dominant macrofauna of two known vent sites situated on the northern and southern segments of the East Scotia Ridge (ESR). The species is known to depend on primary productivity by chemosynthetic bacteria and resides at the warm-eurythermal vent environment for most of its life; its short-range distribution away from vents (few metres) is physiologically constrained by the stable, cold waters of the surrounding Southern Ocean. Kiwa tylerihas been shown to present differential life history adaptations in response to this contrasting thermal environment. Morphological adaptations specific to life in warm-eurythermal waters, as found on – or in close proximity of – vent chimneys, are discussed in comparison with adaptations seen in the other two known members of the family (K. hirsuta, K. puravida), which show a preference for low temperature chemosynthetic environments.
Highlights
The discovery of hydrothermal vent systems on the East Scotia Ridge (ESR) in the Southern Ocean posed new questions on the biogeography and connectivity of vent biogeographic provinces at global scale (Fig 1) [1,2]
Specimens of Kiwa tyleri sp. nov. were obtained from two hydrothermal vent fields situated on the northern and southern branch of the East Scotia Ridge (ESR) during RRS James Cook research cruise 42 (7th January- 24th February 2010)
Both sites are surrounded by the cold stable waters of the Southern Ocean, with temperatures of ~0.0 and -1.3°C at E2 and E9 vent sites, respectively [Rogers et al 2012]; the E9 site is strongly influenced by the Weddell-Scotia Confluence, the Circumpolar Deep Water and the Weddell Sea Deep Water [20,21,22]
Summary
The discovery of hydrothermal vent systems on the East Scotia Ridge (ESR) in the Southern Ocean posed new questions on the biogeography and connectivity of vent biogeographic provinces at global scale (Fig 1) [1,2]. Situated in the cold polar waters of the Southern Ocean, hydrothermal vents of the ESR are surrounded by permanently low temperatures, around or below 0°C [1,5,6], and comprise the physiologically most isolated chemosynthetic environments known. Whether or not Southern Ocean vents represent bottlenecks for the distribution and radiation of taxa throughout this polar environment is one of the key questions in the study of global vent biogeography [1]
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