Diversity of coatings on hydrothermal vent gastropods

Shells of hydrothermal vent gastropods are often covered by inorganic coatings whose chemical composition, formation mechanisms, and possible function remain poorly understood. We investigated the mineral coatings of six vent gastropod specimens (one each of the species Lepetodrilus nux, Cantrainea jamsteci, Desbruyeresia armata, Desbruyeresia marisindica, and two specimens of Alviniconcha marisindica from separate vent sites) from four different localities (Iheya North vent field, Okinawa Trough and Myojin-sho Caldera, Izu-Ogasawara Arc in the Pacific Ocean, and Kairei and Edmond vent fields on the Central Indian Ridge) using SEM/EDS and Raman spectroscopy. The resulting data show that the chemical composition of the coatings corresponds to the chemistry of vent fluids at the respective localities and distance from active venting. There was no evidence of mineral replacement of any of the studied shells. In one specimen the coating was partly overgrown by the shell, showing a contemporary growth of the shell and the coating. The texture of the coating on the Desbruyeresia armata specimen suggests a possible role of microorganisms in its formation. Gastropod fossils from ancient vent sites are preserved by pyrite, with no remaining carbonate shell. We found pyrite only in coatings of the modern gastropods collected near high-temperature vent sites, indicating that close proximity to active venting may be necessary for successful preservation of vent gastropods in the fossil record.