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Mussel Periostracum from Deep‐Sea Redox Communities as a Microbial Habitat: 2. The Pit Borers
Author(s) -
Hook James E.,
Golubic Stjepko
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
marine ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.668
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1439-0485
pISSN - 0173-9565
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0485.1990.tb00242.x
Subject(s) - mussel , biology , escarpment , habitat , ecology , fishery , paleontology
. Mussel periostracum from the Florida Escarpment redox community (3266 m depth) is extensively bored by a variety of microorganisms. Four different types of pit borings were observed and characterized on the basis of SEM images of their resin casts, and/or light and TEM reconstructions: two large, open‐pit borers, a “button” borer, and a cone borer. These boring patterns represent distinctive feeding “strategies”. The cumulative activities of periostracum borers remove the protective organic layer from the mussel shells, exposing the mineral to cndolith attack.