Pistol Shrimp and Gobi Fish Team Up to Elude Giant Eel

Not all species have built-in defenses. Some must find other ways to protect themselves. A tiger pistol shrimp hides within a burrow, using his broad, stout pincers as shovels to excavate. He's an excellent digger, but has very poor eyesight. While he's at work, he could easily miss an approaching predator. So, to help him, he enlists a goby as lookout. This triple-spot goby is also low on the food chain and needs refuge. Unlike the shrimp, it has excellent eyesight, and it can dash away at a moment's notice. But it lacks the digging skills to make a safe home. So, the two join forces. While the shrimp plows away, it always keeps one of its lung antennae in contact with its watchdog. An important defense, for there's predators lurking in every nook and cranny. This huge honeycomb moray eagle can reach six feet long. He's a master of camouflage, thanks to his muddled skin that resembles the surrounding coral. He rarely leaves his sentry post during the day, but under the cover of darkness, he stalks the smaller fish as they sleep. In addition to the fish, he pounce on an unwary crustacean, give him the chance. Luckily, pistol shrimps have goby lookouts. This cooperative behavior is known as mutualism. Both species benefit from the relationship. Skirting the fringes of the reef, a huge bowmouth guitarfish patrols the exposed areas of the vast seabed. Guitarfish can reach up to nine feet, and his size provides some defense against most larger predators, like sharks. He looks like a cross between a shark and a ray, and is actually a type of skate. Like his relatives, he can detect even the faintest electrical signal from prey buried in the sand. His back has built-in body armor, scaly thorns to dissuade anything larger from biting him.