A sedentary sea anemone gets attached to the shell lining of hermit crab. The association is :
- Commensalism
- Amensalism
- Ectoparasitism
- Symbiosis
Answer
(4) Symbiosis
Solution
The sea anemone gets carried by the hermit crab to new feeding sites and feeds on the food particles left by the crab.
The stinging cells (nematocysts) of the sea anemone protect the hermit crab from its predators.
∴ Both partners benefit from living together; such a close mutually beneficial association is symbiosis (mutualism / protocooperation).
Answer: (4)