Free+Journal+Entry+4

Hanauma Bay's 'Look but Don't Touch' rule is very prohibiting, but it is still possible to examine organisms close-up. This is made easier by the habitual nature of the blennies, which allows me to observe them for minutes at a time. This habitual nature is the Blennies' habit of ignoring the presence of an intruder (me), and getting on with their customary behavior. This behavior includes feeding and feeding and feeding. This seems to be the only activity that the blennies engage in. Well, aside from excreting and sexually reproducing of course. This customary behavior is the same behavior that the blennies have conducted during my previous visits.

**__BLENNY/CRAB SYMBIOSIS RELATIONSHIP EXPERIMENT:__** PROCEDURES: 1.Gather materials. 2. Find eco-space. 3. Observe what blennies feed on. Take pictures. 4. Observe what crabs feed on. Take pictures. 5. Observe the relationship between blennies and crabs. Take pictures. 6. Compile results and compare the diet of blennies with the diet of crabs.

Below are the results of my experiment.



These images may be out-of-focus, but it is still clear that both crabs are feeding on algae. However, the vital goal of these photographs is to show that one crab is feeding within the tide pool, and one is feeding on the border of the tide pool. Although they are not visible, there are several blennies beyond the border of the first photograph. This crab is in the same tide pool, and is feeding on the same foo source, yet the blennies and the crab are not in conflict. Perhaps, this proves that there is an abundance of food, and these two organisms do not have to resort to preying upon one another.

The second photograph is of a crab no wider then the width of the nail of your pinky finger. This crab is feeding on the algae that borders the tide pool. It reminds me of a cow grazing on a field of pasture. This is because there seems to be an overwhelmingly large mass of algae bordering the tide pool when it is placed in juxtaposition with this miniature crab. Once again, this seems to display the surplus of supply and lack of demand in terms of food.

I end this experiment with the conclusion that the blennies and crabs of at least this particular tide pool coexist in a mutually neutral symbiotic relationship. There is obviously an enormous surplus of food in the form of algae. There is also no reason for the more powerful species, the crab, to prey on the blennies. Why would the crabs exert energy in hunting the blennies when they can literally eat food off of the ground? In addition, as a producer, the algae supplies the consumer with more energy than another consumer would. This is one of my prime supporting reasons for believing that the blennies and crabs do not prey on each other.