1 In the wonderful world of nature, some animals love forming partnerships with other animal species, with plants, and with microorganisms. We have a special name for such interesting arrangements. We call it "symbiosis" that literally means "living together".
2 Do both species involved in a symbiotic relationship benefit from their partnership? Well, the question itself is open for debate. While some scientists restrict the meaning of symbiosis to a "win-win" situation for both participants, others disagree. Using a broader definition, we are going to explore the three types of symbiotic partnerships.
3 When two species engage in a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship, they are in the so-called "mutualism" type of symbiosis. To understand mutualism better, let's examine the interaction between clown fish and an anemone. While most fish stay away from an anemone for fear of touching its poisonous tentacles, clown fish have a special coat on their skin that protects them from getting stung. (This trick does not work for all anemones though. Clown fish can only have symbiotic relationships with 10 of the 1,000 different anemone species in the world.) Swimming carefree and unharmed among their host's deadly tentacles, clown fish know very well that their predators do not dare to come near them. Plus, clown fish get to pick up and eat the leftover bits discarded by their landlord. What does the anemone get in return for offering clown fish a safe haven? Well, first and foremost, it kills and feeds on fish that are eyeing its tenant! Aside from that, clown fish pay their rent by cleaning up food scraps and dead anemone tentacles.
