Unusual symbiotic relationship???

[MD Ocean Girl]

In my 10 gal tank, I have a beautiful tube anemone that's become the show piece of the tank. A few months ago, I grabbed an emerald green crab from my bf's tank and put it in mine to help munch on any algae. This crab is huge....biggest emerald I've ever seen. Recently, he's started hanging out under the tentacle/body of the tube anemone....it's his favorite home now (looks like he's wearing a pink hat all the time lol). So this morning while having breakfast and coffee (made for me by my loving bf :dance: ), we noticed my emerald was scaling the rockwork, pulling off algae and other things and placing it in the tube anemones tentacles....basically feeding it. Anyone ever see something like this?

 

[Jacwil]

Holy smokes that's awesome!!!!!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

some creatures are attractive!

some creatures are attractive!

you might have already discovered this:
perhaps only the fat inn-keeper worm (Urechis) comes close to rivaling tube anemones for their depth and breadth of commensal (a form of symbiosis) relations. Within their tubes can be found many numbers of individuals of crab, bristleworm, horseshoe worm (Phylum Phoronida), other crustacean and worm species, The green algae in the genera Caulerpa and Udotea are frequently found in association with them as well.

FWIW "true" anemones also attract a large entourage :bum:

 

[aquadonkey]

Cool!!
Any chance of a picture?

 

[MD Ocean Girl]

Thanks for the info Gary! I didn't know that about the fat inn-keeper worm....or that tube anemones form commensal relationships.

Here's a few pics I have from before....they're taken on my phone so they're not the best. Currently, he's hiding on the side of the tube anemone that faces my rockwork, so I can't get a new pic until he moves. :hammer:

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

beautiful!