Crowley: Mutualism

Example 1 (6/30/12): Clownfish and Anemone

These are pictures of a common clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) and its home of an anemone (Heteractus magnifica); 42.35889, -71.05083.

A common clownfish living in this anemone is an example of symbiotic mutualism because both species benefit:

A. The clownfish benefits...

1.  by receiving a home that is protected from predators. The clownfish is immune to the stinging cells of the anemone that harm clownfish predators. 

2. by eating the little invertebrates that gather near the anemone. 

B. The anemone benefits...

1. because the clownfish eat the invertebrates harmful to the anemone that gather near the anemone.

2. by receiving nourishment from clownfish feces.

Example 2 (9/4/12): Goliath Grouper and Neon Gobies

In this photo, the blue/small/skinny Neon Gobies (Elacatinus oceanops) and the Goliath Grouper (Epinephelus itajarra) are exhibiting their mutualism behavior that benefits both species. The gobies are picking the harmful parasites off the grouper and eating them. This benefits the grouper because it gets cleaned of harmful parasites, and this benefits the gobies because their prey are easy to find on the grouper.

42.35889, -71.05083