Question

A secondary sea anemone gets attached to the shell covering of hermit crab.The association is

• A. Amensalism
• B. Ectoparasitism
• C. Symbiosis
• D. Commensalism

Answer 1

The correct option is D Commensalism

Hermit crabs and sea anemones share an unusual and intimate underwater relationship. Young hermit crabs will often pick up a young sea anemone to attach to their shell and they become partners for life. They even grow at roughly the same rate. Hermit crabs and sea anemones have a symbiotic relationship, meaning they live in harmony together. It’s a stable connection that sidesteps the typical prey and predator relationship found in nature. The type of symbiosis they engage in is called commensalism. Commensalism means one organism benefits and the other organism isn’t harmed by the partnership. Neither the hermit crab nor the sea anemone is negatively affected by their symbiotic and commensalism relationship. The hermit crab gains protection from predators by its relationship with the sea anemone. Since the sea anemone will eat just about anything in the sea, it gets to eat whatever tidbits the hermit crab leaves behind. The hermit crab does the work of capturing dinner and the sea anemone cleans up the leftovers. It’s a steady food supply for the sea anemone.

So, the correct answer is 'D'.