The species was discovered at abyssal depths when submersible vehicles such as DSV Alvin began exploring the deep ocean.

[3] It occurs on the sea bed, often in great numbers, close to hydrothermal vents where hot, sulphur-rich water wells up through the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

[4] Bathymodiolus thermophilus is found clustered around deep sea thermal vents on the East Pacific Rise between 13°N and 22°S and in the nearby Galapagos Rift at depths around 2800 metres (one and a half miles).

[4][5] Deep sea hydrothermal vents are frequently found along tectonic plate boundaries, and underwater mountain ranges and ridges.

[6] Specific geographical barriers exist along the mid-ocean ridge system that may impede gene flow between populations along the ridge-axis.

[6] A study sampled mussels across various topographical interruptions along the ridge system and localities encompassed the Galapagos Rift and the East Pacific Rise.

This method of feeding is likely to give them good dispersal capabilities and it has been shown by DNA analysis that there is a high rate of gene flow between populations round different vents.

In early stages of development, deep-sea mussels appear to follow similar growth processes of gametogenesis in comparison to shallow-water mytilidae.

[11] Adult stages of the bathymodioline species have received the most attention, especially when studying the bacterial symbionts that are fundamental to the mussels nutritional needs.

Sequence data provided evidence for an outgroup of Modioline species from sunken wood and whale carcasses and that the phylogeny of Bathymodiolus mussels and their relatives had derivations from a single ancestor with COI (cytochrome C oxidase subunit I) or ND4 (NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4) sequence data.