Location of clip:

DVD: Chapter 1: 0:00:31 - 0:04:00

Play Flickclip Here (Quicktime)

Summary of clip: Marlin and Coral find a nice anemone to live in with a beautiful view and are excited to be in the new neighborhood to raise their babies.  As they are discussing their new situation and checking on the eggs, a predator fish appears and attacks the family.  Marlin tries to convince Coral to get back into the anemone, where they will be safe, however she is too concerned about the “children” and…

Connection of flickclip to the concept: Clownfish are the only fish that are able to live in anemones.  They have become adapted to the stinging that the tentacles of the anemone would inflict on any other animal.  Anemones also benefit from the clownfish living within them because the fish clean the anemone and keep them free of bacteria. 

When Coral realized that the predator was there she instinctively wanted to swim to the eggs to offer her protection.  Marlin knew that if she would have entered the safety of the anemone, she most likely would have been OK. The predator may not have known that the eggs were there had she not reacted in such a way.

1. Suggested questions for students when viewing the clip:

a. What is a symbiotic relationship?

b. What other symbiotic relationships can you name in the ocean?  Outside of the ocean?

c. What does the anemone do for the clownfish?  What do the clownfish do for the anemone?

d. Is this relationship Mutualism, Commensalism, or Parasitism? Explain what each is and why this is mutualism.

e. Why did Marlin want Coral to return to the anemone?

f. Would the predator fish have known that the eggs were there had Coral not reacted in the way that she did?  Why did Coral react in that way?

2. Break the students into groups of 3.  Have each group member research relationships in either the Mutualism, Commensalism or Parasitism type of relationships.  Each member should find 2 examples of the type of relationship they choose. They should return to class to convey their research with their group.  The relationships should be discussed in the class as a whole to reinforce the different types of relationships.

3. This is a group activity. Depending on the size of the class, divide class into 3 groups. Have 1 group of students be the clownfishes, one group to act as predators, the rest will make up the sea anemone.

• Have the clownfishes and predators wait outside the classroom.
• Have the sea anemone group make a circle around the desk with the plate (for collected cookies), make sure to leave some room in between the students.
• Explain to the sea anemone group that they are to let the clownfishes enter and exit the circle, but they must keep the predators out. Leave other desks empty.
• Explain to the clownfishes that they can move about freely, but the circle will act as a safety area.
• Have the clownfishes enter and let them wander about the room. Let the predators in and have them tag the clownfishes (no running). If they touch the circle they must give a cookie to the circle. Once a predator looses it's cookie, he must sit down inside the circle. The activity should last about 10 minutes. (from marinediscovery.arizone.edu