Author: Ella Davies
Source: BBC Nature News
February 28, 2013

The relationship between the reef animals is well known, with the fish hiding in the anemone's stinging tentacles to avoid predators.

But US researchers have discovered the anemones also benefit from the night-time presence of the fidgety fish.

As clownfish move around, they boost water flow over the anemone and increase its oxygen consumption.

The findings are published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

At night there is less oxygen available on the reef because photosynthesis ceases once the sun goes down. But night is also when the main predators of clownfish hunt.

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