Metal concentrations in the tissues of the hydrothermal vent mussel Bathymodiolus: Reflection of different metal sources

• We investigated metals in tissues of hydrothermal Bathymodiolus mussels.
• Most trace metals were enriched in gills and digestive gland.
• Site-specific metal accumulation patterns were observed.
• Small-scale difference within single vent fields was found.
• A significant role of particulate matter for metal uptake is postulated.

Hydrothermal vent mussels of the genus Bathymodiolus are ideally positioned for the use of recording hydrothermal fluxes at the hydrothermal vent sites they inhabit. Barium, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Pb, Sr, and U concentrations in tissue sections of Bathymodiolus mussels from several hydrothermal fields between 15°N and 9°S at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge were determined and compared to the surrounding fluids and solid substrates in the habitats. Elements generally enriched in hydrothermal fluids, such as Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd, were significantly enriched in the gills and digestive glands of the hydrothermal mussels. The rather small variability of Zn (and Mn) and positive correlation with K and earth alkaline metals may indicate a biological regulation of accumulation. Enrichments of Mo and U in many tissue samples indicate that particulate matter such as hydrothermal mineral particles from the plumes can play a more important role as a metal source than dissolved metals. Highest enrichments of Cu in mussels from the Golden Valley site indicate a relation to the ≥400 °C hot heavy-metal rich fluids emanating in the vicinity. In contrast, mussels from the low-temperature Lilliput field are affected by the Fe oxyhydroxide sediment of their habitat. In a comparison of two different sites within the Logatchev field metal distributions in the tissues reflected small-scale local variations in the metal content of the fluids and the particulate material.