Effects of giant protozoans (class: Xenophyophorea) on deep-seamount benthos

Abstract

Biogenic sediment structures have been proposed to enhance diversity in deep-sea sediments. To evaluate this hypothesis we examined the influence of xenophyo-phores, giant sediment-agglutinating protozoans, on the structure of metazoan communities inhabiting sediments of deep (1000 to 3300 m) seamounts in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Xenophyophores provided habitat for 16 major meta-zoan taxa. Sediments immediately surrounding xenophyo-phores exhibited elevated faunal densities and species richness relative to control sediments collected 1 m from the tests. Amphipods were exclusively associated with the protozoan tests or sediments beneath them. Crustaceans, molluscs, and echinoderms exhibited enhanced infaunal densities in the presence of xenophyophores but polychaetes did not. Both horizontal and vertical distributions of infauna appear to be influenced by these protozoans. 234Th measurements suggest that xenophyophores and their associated fauna increase the particle flux of fine-grained material to the seabed and enhance subsurface mixing on a 100 d time scale. We propose that xenophyophores alter hydrodynamic conditions and provide deep-sea metazoans with substrate, food, and refuge. The resulting habitat heterogeneity may contribute to maintenance of high benthic diversity.