The shrimp and goby

Olivia Judson: A Mutual Affair

Published: April 8, 2008 - The New York Times

When it comes to mutually beneficial partnerships, the example of the goby and the shrimp is an enviable one.

 

A Mutual Affair

I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite animals: the shrimp goby. These pretty little fish lead lives of enviable indolence. As their name suggests, they live with shrimp (often, a pair). The shrimp build and maintain a burrow, which the goby and shrimp live in together. Each shrimp works hard, shoveling sand out of the front entrance like a miniature bulldozer. As soon as it's delivered the rubble to a suitable distance, it shoots back into the burrow...

http://judson.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/a-mutual-affair/