Sericosura
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sericosura | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sericosura verenae | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Pycnogonida |
| Order: | Pantopoda |
| Family: | Ammotheidae |
| Genus: | Sericosura Fry & Hedgpeth, 1969 |
Sericosura is a genus of sea spiders in the family Ammotheidae.[1] Species within this genus have been found in the eastern Pacific Ocean from California to Alaska living at depths from 106 to 3,690 meters below sea level often near methane seeps.[2]
This genus of sea spiders is host to a diverse community of methane and methanol oxidizing bacteria on its exoskeleton in dense aggregations. Such bacteria found on their exoskeletons include members of the bacterial families Methylomonadaceae and Methylophagaceae. It is thought that theses sea spiders farm and feed on theses bacteria. This provides a unique interaction between an animal and chemically fueled bacteria.[3]
