title: Morphology, microanatomy and sequence data ofSclerolinum contortum(Siboglindae, Annelida) of the Gulf of Mexico.
abstract: Sclerolinumis a small genus of Siboglinidae (Annelida) living in an obligate mutualistic association with thiotrophic bacteria as adults. Its taxonomic position, based on morphology, has been controversial; however, molecular data point to a sister taxa relationship with vestimentiferans. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and comparative morphology revealed that the studied population from deep-sea hydrocarbon seeps of the Gulf of Mexico belongs toSclerolinum contortumknown from the Arctic Sea. Since no anatomical and microanatomical studies have been published yet, we conducted such a study onS. contortumusing serial sectioning and light and transmission electron microscopy. We show that theSclerolinumbody, divided into a head, trunk, and opisthosoma, is very similar to that of the vestimentiferans, and therefore we propose that the body regions are homologous in both taxa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Irmgard
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eichinger
authors.affiliation: Station Biologique de Roscoff, UMR 7144, CNRS, Equipe Génétique des Adaptations aux Milieux Extrêmes, 29680 Roscoff, France ; Station Biologique de Roscoff, UMR 7144, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Equipe Génétique des Adaptations aux Milieux Extrêmes, 29680 Roscoff, France.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hourdez
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bright
keywords: Sclerolinum; Siboglinidae; Symbiosis; Ultrastructure