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ONLINE RESOURCES
Photographic identification guide to larvae at hydrothermal vents in the Eastern
Pacific: http://www.whoi.edu/science/B/vent-larval-id/
Susan W. Mills 1 , Stace E. Beaulieu 1 , and Lauren S. Mullineaux 1
We would like to announce our “Photographic Identification
Guide to Larvae at Hydrothermal Vents in the Eastern
Pacific,” available online at: http://www.whoi.edu/science/B/
vent-larval-id/. The purpose of this website is to assist researchers
in the identification of larvae of benthic invertebrates at
hydrothermal vents. Our work is based on plankton sampling
at the East Pacific Rise (EPR) 9-10° N vent field from 1991 -
present. In this first version of the guide, we have included frequency
data from large-volume plankton pump samples taken
between 1998 and 2004. Later we plan to include data through
2007, including time-series sediment trap samples.
Larval gastropod: Ctenopelta porifera, 300 m.
Larval bivalve: mussel Bathymodiolus thermophilus, 400 m..
Larval polychaete: nereid nectochaete, 400 m..
Photos: From the
top to lower right
Vent crab megalopae: Bythograea thermydron (8 mm) and B.
microps (3 mm).
The guide includes an “Introduction and Methods” section
that details the collection of larvae, a section on “Terminology”
for gastropod and polychaete larvae, and “Literature Cited”
for descriptions of species. Gastropod, bivalve, polychaete,
arthropod, and other larval types are sorted alphabetically, and
gastropod larvae may also be sorted by size. Throughout the
guide, clicking on images will open a higher resolution version
in a separate pop-up window. Clicking on species names will
open an information page on that species. Each information
page also includes thumbnail images of species that are similar
in appearance.
Although our own samples are limited to the EPR 9-10° N site,
we would like to expand the guide by adding additional species,
including those from other areas. We welcome contributions
from the InterRidge community.
We would like to thank Stacy Kim, Pat McMillan, Anne Beaudreau,
Andrew Sweetman, Diane Adams, and taxonomists,
especially Anders Warén, for their help with this project. We
received support from the U.S. National Science Foundation
(grants OCE - 9619605, 9712233, and 0424593 and ATM -
0428122) and the WHOI Deep Ocean Exploration Institute
(grant to L. Mullineaux and S. Beaulieu).
1 Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA, Email: smills@whoi.edu
InterRidge News 55 Vol. 17, 2008