A very strange relationship
Published: Thu, 08/08/13
On Tuesday I realised an ambition that I have been trying to
fulfill for a couple of years. I finally got to visit the aquarium
on the harbour at Lyme Regis. The aquarium is only open during the
summer and I have only visited Lyme Regis out of season.
Apparently they put the exhibits back into the sea when they close
for the winter. It conjurers up the image for me of the fish and
crustations turning up in the harbour each spring and hoping to
get their jobs back for the summer, I have an overactive
imagination. Anyway, my mother was down from London for a few days
and I had promised her a trip to the seaside. So we drove down to
Lyme Regis and the trip provided an opportunity for me to finally
visit the aquarium. Okay, it isn't very big or impressive but
I am fascinated by fish (not sure if it is a Pisces thing or having
a cat fylgia) and there was one thing in particular that I am glad
I saw.
There was a tank of Hermit crabs. As you probably know Hermit
crabs can't really be bothered to grow their own shells so they
use second hand ones. Around this coast that usually means a whelk
shell. As well as occupying a whelk shell these creatures also
have a bright red sea anemone living on the shell. This isn't
a coincidence either, there were at least a dozen hermit crabs in
the tank, each living in a whelk shell and each with a companion
sea anemone. Apparently as soon as a hermit crab finds its first
shell it also finds a sea anemone to attach to it. As the crab
grows it has to look for bigger shells and as it moves house it
will transfer the anemone to the new shell. You can see a picture
of a hermit crab and invertebrate friend here.
http://animalworld.tumblr.com/post/22089371277/symbiosis-sea-anemone-hermit-crab-c-photograph
Apparently no one knows for sure why hermit crabs and sea anemones
have this relationship, I don't imagine it is for the
conversation. The best guess is that the anemone benefits from
moving around and from fragments of the hermit crab's food.
The hermit crab may get protection from predators since the
anemones do have a poisonous sting. Or maybe it is just a fashion
statement, who knows?
My point from this? Perhaps just that the world is infinitely
fascinating and strange so there is never an excuse for being bored
or lacking inspiration.
Talking about fascinating and strange, one week until Fightcamp
where I will be picking up ideas to help me with my martial arts
teaching and making a contribution with teaching staff from a Stav
perspective on Sunday morning. Programme here
http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/fightcamp/programme/