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Science 2 March 1990:
Vol. 247. no. 4946, pp. 1094 - 1096
DOI: 10.1126/science.247.4946.1094
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Articles

Stable Carbon Isotopic Evidence for Carbon Limitation in Hydrothermal Vent Vestimentiferans

C. R. Fisher 1, M. C. Kennicutt II 2, and J. M. Brooks 2

1 Marine Science Instittue and Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
2 Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, 10 South Graham Road, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845

Stable carbon isotope composition (dgr13C values) can be used to evaluate an animal's source of nutritional carbon. Most animals with chemoautotrophic endosymbionts have quite negative tissue dgr13C values due to discrimination against 13C associated with chemoautotrophic assimilation of inorganic carbon. However, the dgr13C values of hydrothermal vent (HTV) vestimentiferans are significantly higher than the values reported for non-HTV vestimentiferans or other invertebrates with chemoautotrophic endosymbionts. Tissue dgr13C values of two species of HTV vestimentiferans increase with increasing size of the animals. This relation supports the hypothesis that the relatively high dgr13C values are the result of inorganic carbon limitation during carbon fixation. A more favorable relation between gas exchange and carbon fixation in the smaller individuals is expected, due to differences in the geometric scaling of gas-exchange surfaces and trophosome volume.


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)