SCIENCE. LAB. SCHEME : TOXIC COMPANION [ 2 ]

IN A new study published in The Journal of Fish Biology, scientists documented larval and juvenile fishes that hide behind or carry larval sea anemones, close relatives of jellyfish that also have the ability to sting.

Adult anemones attach to the seabed, but the larvae float freely to the ocean.

BY holding an invertebrate that can be toxic, the young fishes might be scaring predators away, said Gabriel Afonso, a doctoral student at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science who led the study.

'' The fish sometimes seem to be using the invertebrate as a protection, '' Mr. Afonso said.

In the photos, larval fishes from species such as pomfrets are seen holding larval tube anemones, which belong to a class of marine invertebrates called anthozoans in the open ocean, also known as the pelagic zone.

The strategy amounted to a '' poison pill defense, '' Mr. Collins said, adding, ''Go ahead and eat me, but you're going eat this little poison pill at the same time. ''

For the anemone, the interaction might provide a means of dispersal, although more studies are needed to understand whether and how each species benefits.

The World Students Society thanks Alexa Robles-Gil.