A
Anonymous
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I frequently see people say that their clown is "hosting" the anemone. Isn't the anemone the host?
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wouldn't they be "hosting" one another as dictated by symbiosis.
if a clown were a parasite i would agree with james and Wazzel.
i don't like the use of the word in regards to the relationship though. it sounds like the fish is serving hors d'oeuvres.
a better description would be "all lovey dovey"
if a clown were a parasite i would agree with james and Wazzel.
i don't like the use of the word in regards to the relationship though. it sounds like the fish is serving hors d'oeuvres.
a better description would be "all lovey dovey"
Interesting thread.
The term "host" has no bearing on the type of relationship, it only suggests who approached who. When baby clownfish drop from the plankton at the surface to the sea floor upon their metamorphosis, they almost immediately seek out an anemone. They approach an existing anemone.
So for the chicken & egg analogy...the anemone came first and the clownfish visits it (and stays). The anemone hosts the clownfish.
Now on to relationships...we know the clown/anemone thing is symbiotic because they benefit each other. The greatest benefit clowns bring to anemones is protection from butterflyfish which will eat an unprotected anemone pronto! In a parasitic relationship only the parasite benefits, not the host (and see, the parasite approaches the host not vice-versa), and often to the host's detriment. There are other types of relationships too, like commensal.
The term "host" has no bearing on the type of relationship, it only suggests who approached who. When baby clownfish drop from the plankton at the surface to the sea floor upon their metamorphosis, they almost immediately seek out an anemone. They approach an existing anemone.
So for the chicken & egg analogy...the anemone came first and the clownfish visits it (and stays). The anemone hosts the clownfish.
Now on to relationships...we know the clown/anemone thing is symbiotic because they benefit each other. The greatest benefit clowns bring to anemones is protection from butterflyfish which will eat an unprotected anemone pronto! In a parasitic relationship only the parasite benefits, not the host (and see, the parasite approaches the host not vice-versa), and often to the host's detriment. There are other types of relationships too, like commensal.
Matt, I think that would depend on a number of factors. They would be most likely to "attack" a butterflyfish if they were living in an anemone and trying to defend it. They seem to ignore butterflyfish when they are living in aquariums with no anemone host.
Many of the large species of butterflyfish actively prey on anemones in the wild. If they encounter an unoccupied (undefended) anemone they may very well eat it. These fish often are travelling in pairs as well. So you can have a pair of 8" falcula butterflyfish tear apart a symbiotic anemone very quickly that is not protected by clownfish. If they were to approach a protected anemone they would be vigorously driven away.
Many of the large species of butterflyfish actively prey on anemones in the wild. If they encounter an unoccupied (undefended) anemone they may very well eat it. These fish often are travelling in pairs as well. So you can have a pair of 8" falcula butterflyfish tear apart a symbiotic anemone very quickly that is not protected by clownfish. If they were to approach a protected anemone they would be vigorously driven away.
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