Cleaner Shrimp Angelfish Cleaner Shrimp Sea Anemone Clownfish Butterflyfish Clownfish live sea anemones’ tentacles. These tentacles sting fish that try to eat the clownfish, keeping the clownfish safe! The clownfish protects the sea anemone from being eaten by the Butterfly Fish. It gets some food the clownfish drops while eating. The Butterfly Fish eats sea anemones. Cleaner Shrimp Cleaner Shrimp Angelfish The cleaner shrimp uses the anemone for protection. The cleaner shrimp eats particles (sometimes parasites) off the Angelfish and other fish. The angelfish is kept free of parasites by the cleaner shrimp.

Fish Coral Reef Isopod Anemone Sea Anemone Anemone Provides a safe place for cleaner shrimp to live. Anemones are food for many fish including the Butterfly Fish. Anemones use the coral to live on. Isopod Fish Coral Reef The isopod uses fish for nutrients. Any reef fish may become the host to isopods, which use them for nutrients. Corals provide “housing” for many creatures including anemones.

Coral Reefs Coral Grouper Zooxanthellae Sea Grouper Reef Shark Many coral survive because they have zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae turn sunlight into food for themselves and for coral. Zooxanthellae need sunlight so reef corals need to be near the surface in clear water. People hunt fish in reefs, they collect small fish for aquariums and they break off pieces of coral for collections. Groupers are eaten by sharks. Zooxanthellae Sea Grouper Reef Shark Tiny plant cells called zooxanthellae live within most types of coral polyps. The coral polyps provide the cells with a protected environment and the nutrients they need to carry out photosynthesis. Groupers eat other fish including Butterfly fish. Sharks near a reef eat large fish like groupers.

Butterfly Fish People Butterfly Fish as juveniles are food for many larger fish such as grouper. Humans hunt fish in reefs, they collect small fish for aquariums and they break off pieces of coral for collections.