Bioaccumulation of trace metals in the submarine hydrothermal vent crab Xenograpsus testudinatus off Kueishan Island, Taiwan

► We measure metal accumulation in different tissues of submarine vent crabs. ► The distribution patterns of metals vary with crab tissues. ► Most metals show the highest accumulation in the gills likely through respiration. ► Different pathways of metal utilization determine the metal patterns of tissues.