Mediterranean Gutless Worm Metagenome

Juvenile and adult specimens of the marine oligochaetes Olavius algarvenis and Olavius ilvae (gutless worm lacking a mouth, gut and nephridia) were collected from silicate sediments in a bay off Capo di Sant' Andrea, Elba, Italy. Four co-occurring bacterial symbionts were identified and shown to be capable of carbon fixation, which provides the host with multiple sources of nutrition.