- Alvinellidae
Taxobox
name = Alvinellidae
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Annelida
classis =Polychaeta
subclassis =Palpata
ordo =Canalipalpata
ordo =Terebellida
familia = Alvinellidae
familia_authority = Desbruyères & Laubier, 1986
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "Alvinella "
"Paralvinella "The Alvinellidae are a family of small, deep-sea
polychaete worm s endemic tohydrothermal vent s in thePacific Ocean . Belonging to the orderTerebellida , the family contains two genera, "Alvinella" and "Paralvinella"; the former genus contains two valid species and the latter eight. Members of the family are termed alvinellids.The family was first described in
1979 after discoveries made off theGalápagos Islands by the crew of the DSV "Alvin". The ship subsequently lent its name to the family and genera within it.The worms build mucus tubes and extend red feathery gills. Members of the Alvinellidae are noted for their exceptional heat tolerance: one species, the
Pompeii worm ("Alvinella pompejana"), is thought to be the most heat-tolerant complex organism on Earth.Mitochondria start to break down at temperatures of 122-131°F (50-55°C), apparently providing an upper limit foreukaryote s. Under laboratory conditions, in a pressurized aquarium with a heat gradient, worms of the species "Paralvinella sulfincola", chose water heated to 122°F (50°C) and made brief forays into water as hot as 131°F (55°C). [ [http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/04/14/hot.worms.reut/index.html CNN.com "Study finds worms thriving in hot-water"] - 14 April, 2006] Unlike other (chemosynthetic) vent-dwelling worms, alvinellid worms possess a digestive tract. However, they do rely on an episymbiotic relationship with thermophilic bacteria; hair-like growths of the bacteria living on the worm's back are thought to offer thermal protection to the worm.Family Alvinellidae
*Genus "
Alvinella "
** Species "Alvinella caudata"
** Species "Alvinella pompejana" -Pompeii worm
*Genus "Paralvinella "
** Species "Paralvinella bactericola"
** Species "Paralvinella fijiensis"
** Species "Paralvinella grasslei"
** Species "Paralvinella hessleri"
** Species "Paralvinella palmiformis"
** Species "Paralvinella pandorae"
** Species "Paralvinella sulfincola "
** Species "Paralvinella unidentata"References
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