Spiny lobster relies on clam chemosynthesis

Abstract

Spiny lobsters have landed on many a dinner plate, but now scientists have found that the tasty crustaceans have a peculiar dining preference of their own. These Caribbean lobsters eat clams that get their energy from bacterial chemical reactions that are a common feature of deep-sea vent creatures. The work calls into question the assumption that shallow-water food webs rely primarily on photosynthesis. In fact, chemosynthesis—getting energy from redox reactions instead of light—may play key ecosystem roles well beyond deep-sea communities (Curr. Biol. 2016, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.10.034). “For a long time, chemosynthesis in shallow waters was seen as an interesting oddity,” says the University of Plymouth’s Nicholas D. Higgs, whose team made the discovery. “We’ve shown it supports a multi-million-dollar lobster industry.” While snorkeling after his wedding in the Bahamas, Higgs noticed broken remnants of clam shells from a species called Codakia orbicularis, which has relatives that live around deep-sea vents,