Pyrodictium

Pyrodictium
Scientific classification
Domain: Archaea
Clade: Proteoarchaeota
Kingdom: Thermoproteati
Phylum: Thermoproteota
Class: Thermoprotei
Order: Desulfurococcales
Family: Pyrodictiaceae
Genus: Pyrodictium
Stetter, König & Stackebrandt 1984
Type species
Pyrodictium occultum
Stetter, König & Stackebrandt 1984
Species

Pyrodictium is a genus in the family Pyrodictiaceae. It is a genus of submarine hyperthermophilic Archaea whose optimal growth temperature range is 80 to 110°C. They have a unique cell structure involving a network of cannulae and flat, disk-shaped cells. Pyrodictium are found in the porous walls of deep-sea vents where the temperatures inside get as high as 400°C, while the outside marine environment is typically 3°C. Pyrodictium is apparently able to adapt morphologically to this type of hot–cold habitat.