# Alvinellidae

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Family of annelid worms

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Alvinellidae Paralvinella sulfincola Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Annelida Clade: Pleistoannelida Clade: Sedentaria Order: Terebellida Family: Alvinellidae Desbruyères & Laubier, 1986 Genera Alvinella Paralvinella

The **Alvinellidae** are a family of small, deep-sea [polychaete](/source/Polychaete) [worms](/source/Worm) endemic to [hydrothermal vents](/source/Hydrothermal_vent) in the [Pacific Ocean](/source/Pacific_Ocean). Belonging to the order [Terebellida](/source/Terebellida), the family contains two genera, *[Alvinella](/source/Alvinella)* and *[Paralvinella](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paralvinella&action=edit&redlink=1)*; the former genus contains two valid species and the latter eight. Members of the family are termed **alvinellids**.

The family was first described in 1979 after discoveries made off the [Galápagos Islands](/source/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Islands) by the crew of the [DSV](/source/Deep_Submergence_Vehicle) *[Alvin](/source/DSV_Alvin)*. The ship subsequently lent its name to the family and genera within it.

The worms build mucus tubes and extend red feathery gills. Members of the Alvinellidae are noted for their exceptional heat tolerance: one species, *[Alvinella pompejana](/source/Alvinella_pompejana)*, is thought to be the most heat-tolerant complex organism on Earth. [Mitochondria](/source/Mitochondria) start to break down at temperatures of 122–131 °F (50–55 °C), apparently providing an upper limit for [eukaryotes](/source/Eukaryote). Under laboratory conditions, in a pressurized aquarium with a heat gradient, worms of the species *Paralvinella sulfincola*, chose water heated to 122 °F (50 °C) and made brief forays into water as hot as 131 °F (55 °C).[1] Unlike other ([chemosynthetic](/source/Chemosynthesis)) vent-dwelling worms, alvinellid worms possess a digestive tract. However, they do rely on an [episymbiotic](/source/Symbiosis) relationship with [thermophilic](/source/Thermophile) [bacteria](/source/Bacteria); hair-like growths of the bacteria living on the worm's back are thought to offer thermal protection to the worm.

## Family Alvinellidae

- Genus *[Alvinella](/source/Alvinella)* - Species *[Alvinella caudata](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alvinella_caudata&action=edit&redlink=1)* - Species *[Alvinella pompejana](/source/Alvinella_pompejana)*

- Genus *[Paralvinella](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paralvinella&action=edit&redlink=1)* - Species *Paralvinella bactericola* - Species *Paralvinella fijiensis* - Species *Paralvinella grasslei* - Species *Paralvinella hessleri* - Species *Paralvinella palmiformis* - Species *Paralvinella pandorae* - Species *[Paralvinella sulfincola](/source/Paralvinella_sulfincola)* - Species *Paralvinella unidentata*

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Fox, Maggie (13 April 2006). ["Some worms like it really, really hot"](https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna12304526). *NBC News*.

## Further reading

- Jacobs, Phie (26 August 2025). "Deep-sea worms fight poison with poison to survive in hydrothermal vents". *Science*. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1126/science.zuph6d4](https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.zuph6d4).

- Wang, Hao; Cao, Lei; Zhang, Huan; Zhong, Zhaoshan; Zhou, Li; Lian, Chao; Wang, Xiaocheng; Chen, Hao; Wang, Minxiao; Zhang, Xin; Li, Chaolun (26 August 2025). ["A deep-sea hydrothermal vent worm detoxifies arsenic and sulfur by intracellular biomineralization of orpiment (As2S3)"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12380324). *PLOS Biology*. **23** (8) e3003291. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1371/journal.pbio.3003291](https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.3003291). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [12380324](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12380324). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [40857221](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40857221).

- Wang, Hao; Zhang, Huan; Wang, Minxiao; Chen, Hao; Lian, Chao; Li, Chaolun (2 January 2019). ["The complete mitochondrial genome of Paralvinella hessleri: an endemic species of deep-sea hydrothermal vent"](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F23802359.2019.1567289). *Mitochondrial DNA Part B*. **4** (1): 832–833. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/23802359.2019.1567289](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F23802359.2019.1567289).

- Milius, Susan (12 April 2006). ["Into Hot Water: Lab test shows that worms seek heat"](https://www.sciencenews.org/article/hot-water-lab-test-shows-worms-seek-heat). *Science News*.

Taxon identifiers Alvinellidae Wikidata: Q3896207 Wikispecies: Alvinellidae ADW: Alvinellidae BioLib: 83911 BOLD: 28531 CoL: 84JVD EoL: 2561226 GBIF: 3596 iNaturalist: 372942 IRMNG: 113902 ITIS: 555677 NBN: NHMSYS0021048706 NCBI: 36108 NZOR: e715f2f4-c46d-49ce-b562-1160f97560d2 Open Tree of Life: 386356 Paleobiology Database: 355018 WoRMS: 233985

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alvinellidae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvinellidae) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvinellidae?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.