Biology of the Lucky Strike hydrothermal field

Newly discovered hydrothermal vent communities at Lucky Strike on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (37 degrees 18'N, 32 degrees 16'W) are comprised of an invertebrate fauna sufficiently different from known vent faunas of TAG and Snake Pit to consider Lucky Strike part of a new biogeographic province. The dominant component of the fauna is a new species of mussel, and the most unusual feature of the fauna is an echinoid echinoderm, Echinus sp. An abundance of small mussels (< 5 mm) indicates a recent recruitment event at Lucky Strike, and modal analysis of length-frequency data indicate a discontinuous recruitment process in space and time. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd