Symbiotic Relationship Between Hermit Crabs and Sea Anemones

What symbiotic relationship best describes the hermit crab-sea anemone interaction?

Final answer: The symbiotic relationship between hermit crabs and sea anemones is best described as commensalism. Thus the correct option is B.

The symbiotic relationship between hermit crabs and sea anemones is best described as commensalism. In commensalism, one organism benefits from the relationship while the other is neither significantly harmed nor helped. In this case, the hermit crab provides a mobile substrate and protection for the sea anemone by allowing it to attach to the crab's shell. When the hermit crab moves, it carries the sea anemone along, providing the anemone with access to different feeding opportunities and reducing its vulnerability to predators.

The hermit crab-sea anemone relationship is an example of commensalism because the hermit crab benefits from carrying the sea anemone on its shell in the sense that the anemone does not harm or hinder the crab's activities. However, the sea anemone benefits by gaining a mobile platform and access to food particles stirred up by the hermit crab's movement. This relationship does not involve competition, mutualism (where both organisms benefit), or parasitism (where one organism harms the other). Instead, it illustrates how different species can coexist and interact in ways that offer advantages to one party without necessarily harming the other.