Elasmobranch egg capsules associated with modern and ancient cold seeps: a nursery for marine deep-water predators

Marine Ecology Progress Series

J#xf6rn Peckmann¹  Steffen Kiel¹  Peter Linke¹  James L. Goedert¹  Tina Treude¹ 

关键词: Catshark;    Skate;    Authigenic carbonate;    Tubeworm;    Methane;    Deep sea;    Chemosynthesis;   

DOI  :  10.3354/meps09305

学科分类：海洋学与技术

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT: At 2 modern deep-water cold-seep sites, the North Alex Mud Volcano (eastern Mediterranean Sea, water depth ~500 m) and the Concepción Methane Seep Area (south-east Pacific Ocean, water depth ~700 m), we found abundant catshark (Chondrichthyes: Scyliorhinidae) and skate (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae) egg capsules, respectively, associated with carbonates and tubeworms. Fossilized catshark egg capsules were found at the 35 million year old Bear River Cold-Seep Deposit (Washington State, USA) closely associated with remains of tubeworms and sponges. We suggest that cold-seep ecosystems have served as nurseries for predatory elasmobranch fishes since at least late Eocene time and therewith possibly play an important role for the functioning of deep-water ecosystems.

【 授权许可】

Unknown