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The Beatles were not too far off when they sang about an octopus’ garden. New research has determined that some fish have gardens, which they rigorously tend to and harvest.
According to a paper accepted for publication in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology, the damselfish, Stegastes nigricans, maintains algae gardens. The fish and the algae each benefit from the arrangement.
Such beneficial relationships exemplify what scientists call “mutualism.” The latest discovery marks a very rare example of this in a marine environment.
See here for more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37778934/ns/technology_and_science-science
