Living Beings

    Compare species

    No approved photograph

    Pyrococcus furiosus

    Pyrococcus furiosus

    Source-identified Acropora millepora; Documentary organism photograph.

    Acropora millepora

    Acropora millepora

    Acropora millepora, GBR.jpg · Resized and converted to WebP for display. Documentary organism photograph. Petra Lundgren, Juan C Vera, Lesa Peplow, Stephanie Manel and Madeleine JH van Oppen. · CC BY 4.0

    Evidence from the profiles

    Compare their characteristics

    TraitPyrococcus furiosusAcropora millepora
    Physical traitsCells are approximately rounded and require microscopy for direct observation. Molecular diagrams from the species do not depict whole cells.Colonies form branching structures covered by small skeletal cups that house polyps. Colony color alone is insufficient for secure species identification.
    Habitat and rangeThe authenticated type strain is associated with hot marine sediment. The DSMZ culture collection records Vulcano Island as its isolation locality and maintains it under anaerobic, high-temperature conditions. Such culture instructions document the needs of a particular laboratory strain; they are not a recommendation to treat every geothermal site as a confirmed occurrence.Shallow, well-lit marine reef environments support the coral and its photosynthetic partners.
    Diet and nutritionThe organism uses organic substrates rather than light as its energy source. Work summarized by Kengen distinguishes sugar fermentation from growth on proteins: sulfur requirements depend on the substrate and conditions. Fermentation of starch-derived sugars produces acetate, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. These specific metabolic observations are more useful than saying that every hyperthermophilic archaeon obtains energy in the same way.Polyps capture small suspended food, while algal symbionts contribute photosynthetic products.
    Behavior and activityThe 2017 account describes strong motility and rapid growth under favorable culture conditions. Those observations helped motivate the species name, but laboratory growth speed should not be treated as a constant rate in natural sediment. Temperature, substrate supply and gas conditions are part of the experimental setting.Tentacles and mucus help the colony interact with surrounding seawater. Recognition mechanisms influence responses to microbes.
    Reproduction and life cycleCells increase in number through division when conditions permit. Continuous-culture experiments maintained growth near 100 °C and measured gas production alongside dilution rate. Such experiments distinguish sustained cellular growth from the separate observation that an isolated enzyme remains active after heating.Colonies grow by producing additional polyps. Sexual reproduction can release gametes that develop into settling larvae.
    Geographic distributionThe type-strain record provides a definite natural locality at Vulcano, Italy. International collections maintain descendants of that isolate, including DSM 3638 and JCM 8422. A culture housed in another country is not evidence that the species is native there, so this profile does not turn a catalogue of laboratory holdings into a world distribution map.The species occurs in the Indo-Pacific reef region. Species-level locality records should accompany detailed range mapping.
    Ecological roleIts metabolism demonstrates that organic carbon can be processed in hot, oxygen-free marine environments. The natural community contains organisms with different metabolic roles. Species-level observations should not be expanded into an unsupported food web or a claim that this archaeon dominates every hydrothermal habitat.Skeletal growth contributes reef structure and habitat. Symbiotic interactions are central to energy supply and colony health.
    Distinctive adaptationsHeat-compatible cellular machinery permits growth under conditions that disrupt many ordinary proteins. The type-strain catalogue also records production of the Pfu DNA polymerase used in research. Enzyme stability and whole-cell growth are related aspects of its biology, but the presence of a stable enzyme is not by itself proof that a cell survives any arbitrary temperature.A colonial body and partnerships with photosynthetic cells support growth in well-lit reef environments.
    ConservationData unavailableThermal stress, bleaching and degradation of reef habitat are concerns. A source on molecular recognition does not establish a current Red List category.

    Classification

    Shared ancestry

    Closest shared taxon: cellular organisms.

    1. LifeLife
    domainArchaeakingdomMethanobacteriatiphylumMethanobacteriotaclassThermococciorderThermococcalesfamilyThermococcaceaegenusPyrococcusspeciesPyrococcus furiosus
    domainEukaryotakingdomAnimaliaphylumCnidariaclassAnthozoaorderScleractiniafamilyAcroporidaegenusAcroporaspeciesAcropora millepora
    Explore the taxonomy ↗

    Sources from both profiles

    More comparisons