Figure 1.
A lithodid crab (Paralomis diomedeae relative) commonly encountered at Md. 12.
(a) Bird's eye view from a lander mounted still camera (ca. 40×50 cm), (b) close up with visible feeding tracks, (c) dorsal and (d) ventral view of the captured specimen. The scale bars represent 6 cm.
Table 1.
Habitat characteristics of Md. 12 sediments covered- and devoid of microbial mats.
Figure 2.
A second type of lithodid crab that we observed rarely at Md. 12 (tentatively identified as Paralomis papillata relative).
Table 2.
Epsilonproteobacterial 16S rRNA gene library obtained from surface sediments (0–2 cm) covered with whitish microbial mats.
Table 3.
Bacterial 16S rRNA gene library obtained from the stomach sample of a lithodid crab (Paralomis diomedeae relative), which was observed feeding on surface sediments covered with whitish microbial mats.
Figure 3.
Fractional abundance and stable carbon isotope composition of fatty acids in a muscle- and a stomach sample of the Paralomis diomedeae relative.
Note that the stomach sample contained stomach contents and stomach epithelium. The bulk stable carbon isotope composition of the muscle is indicated (grey horizontal line).
Table 4.
Concentrations (µg g−1 dry weight) and stable carbon isotope compositions of fatty acids, cholesterol and desmosterol.