Question

1. Briefly describe how goby will benefit by living together with shrimp and how shrimp will benefit by living together with goby.

Answer 1

Symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two different organism that live in physical association usually to the advantage of both organisms. Let us understand symbiotic realtionship falls into 3 categories, mutualism: where both organisms benefit from the relationship, Commensalism : where only one organism benefits wile the other neither benefits nor gets harmed, Parasitism : where only one organism benefits at the expense of the other.

Coming to the discussion of Goby fish and shrimp,

Goby fish ( Marine watchmen) : These act as a watchman against predators in exchange for shelter in the shrimp's burrow, the goby sit at the entrance of the burrow maintaining a constant vigil against potential predators while the shrimp clears gravel from the burrow. the goby also uses the burrow for mating which involves a lengthy ritual that require safe space. Gobies are the largest families ( Gobiidae family) of fishes represented on coral reefs and are very small and vigilant fish with superior eyesight. half of known goby species live on habitats adjacent to coral reefs like sand flats, sand slopes, sea grass beds or mangrove swamps. They lack places to hide when compared to labyrinth-like structures created by a coral reef. because of this gobies rely on different stratergies to avoid being eaten. Some dig holes under scattered rubble, soem are attired in cryptic colors also there is a group of gobies that form partnerships and refugs with unrealted marine organism.

Pistol shrimp( Natural burrowers) : Shrimps belong to the family of Alpheidae and is a notorious for its large asymmetrical claws and digging abilities. It keeps creating and maintaining burrows in the seabed sand. some pistol shrimp species burrows with goby fishes in a mutualism symbiotic relationship.Many snapping shrimps live in hard substrate, there are some that construct burrows in the sand or mud. the size and the shape of these burrows vary, depending on the species and size of the shrimp as well as the type of substrate in which the burrow is constructed. The shrimp buil new burrows in shallow marine habitats suchas coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves. The shrimp provides food and safe habitat for itself an d the goby to live in by digging and maintaining burrows. however, the shrimp is very vulnerable to predators whenver it dumps gravel outside the burrow since it cannot detect potential threats. This is where goby fish comes in. With goby keeping a lookout, the nearly blind shrimp places one tentacle on the fish while exposed, so if the goby darts inside the burrow, the shrimp is instantly alerated to the pesence of a predators and it too darts back inside the safety of its burrow.