I like nature shows, especially anything to do with the ocean. One of my favorite useless-trivia-tidbits is the habits of a little fish that looks like a big darning needle. Being fairly small and helpless it tends to hang around with sea cucumbers, that way if danger looms it can hide . . . by inserting itself tail first up the cucumber's backside.
Then the completely professional, deadpan, narrator voice said "In any symbiotic relationship there is a benefit to both parties. The benefit to the fish is clear, it is able to hide from its enemies.
The benefit to the sea cucumber is less clear."


I wonder how many takes it took to say that without giggling.

Ha!!!!!!!!!!

This is the needlefish, isn't it? I had never heard of this particular habit of the needlefish, if it is the needlefish. There are apparently many varieties of this fish--so I wonder whether they all employ this truly interesting, if not unique, defensive maneuver! Brings new meaning to the verb 'to needle', doesn't it!

You're right. I think it is the needlefish.

Dear Zed: I don't know enough biology to cite an example,
but there must be quite a few other such instances of
symbiosis benefiting only one of the two members. A small
fish has to find a place to hide. Any port in case of a storm.
Far more curious to me are some of the parasitic relationships. For instance, there is a fly that approaches anus of deer, and at last instant turns 180 degrees, and
injects an ovum which becomes intestinal parasite of the deer. Can you think of the scenario leading to establishment
of this behaviour?

If it's to the benefit of one organism and the detriment of the other it's called parasitism. Symbiosis, as far as I know, is limited to a relationship of benefit to both. Dunno what it's called if it's to the benefit of one and neutral to the other.

Benefit to one and neutral to other?

Semisymbiosis/semisymbiotic!

Kinda makes a hash of the sym- part, doesn't it Dub Dub'?

Well, I never!

According to AHD4 (http://www.bartleby.com/61/72/S0957200.html), symbiosis may, but does not necessarily, benefit each member.

reminds me of the elephant joke

a elephant mets a rabbit, and is very impressed by its smooth white fur, unlike sheep and other animals, the rabbit doesn' have any 'tags' of excrement at its back end..

the elephant ask the rabbit about that.. and the rabbit brags, 'no, never a problem, shit doesn't stick to my fur'
at which point the elephant picks up the rabbit with his trunk, and says, 'Oh, in that case if you don't mind, it a problem for me..as he swings his trunk towards his back end....

A bit of rabbit trivia. Every rabbit must at frequent intervals ingest one of its own droppings, to maintain
the intestinal flora necessary to digest cellulose. Cages
must be large enough to permit this.

Never did want to be a rabbit,
Still don't.

Zed, thank you for that interesting tidbit. I will drop it at my next cocktail party.

What, when everyone is hogging into their cucumber sandwiches?

or their rabbit sate.

Bingley

On Bali:
JEMBRANA REGENCY
... Try the superb mie kuah ayam (Rp2500) and sate (rabbit sate!) served
by friendly and beguiling waitresses. Sometimes offers shrimp. ...
www.balix.com/travel/guide/chapters/touring/jembrana.html

Sate kelinci (rabbit sate) is a speciality of the Lembang area, just up the road from Bandung (up being the operative word).

Bingley