Background Since its discovery around deep sea hydrothermal vents of the Galapagos Rift about 30 years ago, the chemoautotrophic symbiosis between the vestimentiferan tubeworm em Riftia pachyptila /em and its symbiotic sulfide-oxidizing -proteobacteria has been extensively studied. plume tissue (the only organ in contact with the sea water) and in the trophosome (the organ housing… Continue reading Background Since its discovery around deep sea hydrothermal vents of the