Symbiosis X Protocooperation

[Yuri Barros]

What´s the correct term to use..............when we are refering to the relationship between Anemonefishes & Host Anemones...........???

Is there an official paper..........???

Recently I hear people saying Protocooperation..............so............I have this doubt...........

I say Symbiosis..............that´s how I learned................

I just learn from the traditional Anemonefish Books...........

That´s why I´m asking here in RC...................I would like to use the correct term................

 

[phender]

Symbiosis is a generic term for any animals living together. There are/were 3 basic symbiotic relationships
1. Mutualism- both parties benefit from the relationship
2. Commensalism - one party benefits and the other is not harmed (ex. orchid living in a tree, pilot fish and shark)
3. Parasitism - one party benefits and the other is harmed without being killed outright.

It appears that Protocooperation is a form of mutualism. So, both are right, Protocooperation is simply more specific. (and if you used it you would likely sound a little pretentious since mutualism means pretty much the same thing and most people have never heard of protocooperation)

Symbiosis by itself is really not specific enough to describe the relationship between a clown and its anemone. You should at least say it's a mutualistic relationship.

 

[Azedenkae]

I don't know where protocooperation came from. Reading up on it, it seems exactly like what mutualism/symbiosis can be. Now there is a bit of confusion as to what symbiosis refers to - some scientists say only mutualism, whilst others say mutualism/commensalism/parasitism and whatever else. I personally prefer it to only be mutualism. With that said, mutualism/symbiosis would still include what protocooperation refers to.

So therefore, protocooperation would be a type of mutualism/symbiosis, describing a 'looser' association. Symbiosis/mutualism is the long term beneficial relationship of two or more organisms, and I can't see how I can describe what clownfish and anemones go through as not a 'long term beneficial relationship of two or more organisms'.

 

[Yuri Barros]

By definition on Wiki.........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protocooperation

They said in Wiki that Protocooperation is a form of mutualism........but they do not depend on each other for survival.........

So......

I´m not sure if I can say Protocooperation................if we consider the Ecological aspect of the relationship...............


But if we consider that in Aquarium both Clowns and Anemones can live without each other..............

I don´t know................???

 

[Azedenkae]

Many species of flowering plants completely depends on bees to reproduce, and of course bees need the nectar to survive. However humans found plenty of ways to cultivate and reproduce these specific species of flowering plants artificially, without any bees involved. Doesn't stop the relationship between bees and these flowering plants from being classified as mutualistic/symbiotic though.

What happens in an artificial environment differs from the wild. Specifically for aquariums, no matter how hard and well we emulate what happens in the wild, it will still be unnatural, regardless.

In the wild, clownfish associate with anemones to escape from predators, and the anemone benefits from being fed and all that, and that is mutualism/symbiosis(/protocooperation).

 

[Yuri Barros]

So..........both terms is correct............???

 

[Azedenkae]

Yes, essentially. All three terms in fact. The asssociation between clownfish an anemones is protocooperation (assuming the definition I found for it is correct), mutualism and symbiosis. Note that none of these terms are synonyms for each other (assuming one uses the term symbiosis as most ecologists would).

 

[Yuri Barros]

Thank You for your replay..............

So if I´m talking about Clownfishes Natural History.........(in the wild).......is Symbiosis the correct term.............???