How do sulfur-oxidizing bacteria help some deep-sea bivalves?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

In deep-sea environments, such as hydrothermal vents, certain bivalves have developed a mutualistic symbiosis with sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. These bacteria thrive in the warm, sulfur-rich water surrounding the vents, where they derive chemical energy by oxidizing sulfide to fix carbon dioxide.12

The bivalves harbor these chemoautotrophic bacteria within their bodies, allowing them to derive nutrition directly from the bacteria. This relationship is essential for the bivalves' survival in these aphotic zones, as it provides a nonphotosynthetic source of organic carbon, effectively supporting the bivalves through chemosynthesis rather than traditional feeding methods.231