Birds and land animals aren't the only ones that work in symbiotic pairs. Some sea animals, like the clownfish and the sea anemone, do as well. Sea anemones, which look like plants, are actually dangerous animals with poisonous tentacles. Most fish stay away from anemones to avoid being stung. However, the clownfish makes its home among the sea anemones. It does not get stung because its body is protected by special coating. Living among the deadly tentacles of an anemone has a clear advance-most predators stay away! Another benefit for the clownfish is that it is able to eat the anemone's leftover bits of food. But what is the advantage to the anemone? There are several. First, the brightly colored clownfish attracts predators. When the clownfish swims under the anemone's tentacles to safety, if the predator follows, the anemone has the chance to sting and eat it. Other services the clownfish performs are cleaning up food scraps and dead anemone tentacles, and chasing away fish that might eat the anemone.
While many symbiotic pairs may at first look like odd partner, the benefits they provide one another are invaluable, and may make the difference between life and death. In fact, it is often these animals' very differences that make them perfect partners.