Symbiosis Relationships in Aquariums

M

Mischke

New member
I know there are Clownfish/Anemones, Pistol Shrimp/Shrimp Goby and Bangaii Cardinals/Urchins. Are there any more, that you know of?
 
Zooxanthellae and corals/anemones.

As an aside, symbiosis is actually a broad term for interactions between organisms of different species. Symbiosis can fall into several classes. Commensalism where one benefits and the other is unharmed. Parasitism where one benefits and the other is harmed. And mutualism where both benefit. I think that's cool!
 
small alien said:
Zooxanthellae and corals/anemones.

As an aside, symbiosis is actually a broad term for interactions between organisms of different species. Symbiosis can fall into several classes. Commensalism where one benefits and the other is unharmed. Parasitism where one benefits and the other is harmed. And mutualism where both benefit. I think that's cool!
Click to expand...

+1 well put!
 
yeah, very cool topic...I am fascinated by cleaner animals and their hypnotic effect on even the most aggressive fish...in the early 90s a buddy had a 280 acrylic with a very large and very aggressive queen trig...he went away one weekend to find that the queen tried to eat her way out of the tank...it looked like someone took a hammer and chisel to it, the tank was destroyed...she also ate the heater and all electric cords...
but when a cleaner wrasse or shrimp was in tank the queen would roll over and lay on her side for a thorough cleaning all over including her gills and mouth...the queen would eventually eat them but it is amazing to see...really love to see it occur when diving...
 
My most beautiful snorkeling sight on the big island was a pair of cleaner wrasses cleaning a Moorish Idol directly in a beam of intense sunlight. I will never forget that. Hawaiin cleaner wrasses are particularly beautiful if anyone hasn't seen one.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I guess I knew about most of these lol. I was planning a nano tank and wanted to make sure it was interesting to watch, and decided to incorporate as many of these relationships as possible.

If anybody knows of anymore, especially uncommon ones I'd love to hear them.

The only other thing I though of (while it may not technically be symbiosis) are glass cardinals for their schooling behavior.
 
For the record, zooxanthellae doesn't make for a very interesting display organism. ;)

Seeing natural interactions between animals is one of the coolest things we can see in our tanks. That's why I like pairs/trios of fish. I've never had a goby/pistol pair but that's one I will definitely do at some point. My jawfish passed yesterday :( and my firefish is looking pretty geriatric so I may have room to try.
 
Shrimpfish and sea fans/gorgonians would be another.

Diademichthys clingfish are not necessarily as closely tied to Diadema urchins as the name implies. I have seen these guys in the wild around 20-30' away from the nearest Diadema urchin. When startled they don't appear to flee back to them either, they just hunker down in branching coral like most other fish.
 
I have found an unlikely friendship in my tank between my coral beauty and my tank bred ocellaris clown. They hang out together pretty much all day long. It's really neat to watch.
 
anemone shrimps or other commensal shrimps like emperor shrimps. there are very beautiful very small symbiotic shrimps out there, some in anemones, others on cucumbers, etc. i also like squat lobsters that live in sponges.

greetings martin
 
jazzman7838 said:
Diademichthys clingfish are not necessarily as closely tied to Diadema urchins as the name implies. I have seen these guys in the wild around 20-30' away from the nearest Diadema urchin. When startled they don't appear to flee back to them either, they just hunker down in branching coral like most other fish.
Click to expand...

Interesting.
 
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