Coral reefs

I have recently been informed that I have a small but loyal readership, and to them (or to her), I feel an obligation to my blog. I have the INHD channel on my TV, (high definition shows that were originally made for IMAX theatres), and I saw a fascinating and beautiful show the other night called, "Equator". The focus of the show was coral reefs and the fish that protect, and are protected, by them. Sea anemones, for instance, sting a majority of fish, but the clownfish (like Nemo), actually swim among the stingers to become immune, and live in and near that anemone from then on and is protected by the anemone while protecting it. The clownfish live in groups, and when the female dies, the male actually CHANGES SEX and becomes a female. Then there are cleaner fish with very pointy noses (like Dory), who eat the parasites right off these huge manta rays. The small fish even swim right into the mantas' mouth to get parasites. This is good eating for the cleaner fish, and a day at the spa for the mantas, getting the parasites removed. Another symbiotic relationship exists between digging shrimp and gobi fish. The shrimp, who are all sight impaired, dig a nice hole for the fish to live in while the fish doesn't do any work except to stand guard and warn of any predators. One of the most interesting facts I learned is the way these corals "mate"-some release eggs, others release sperm, and somewhere in time and tide, the egg will get fertilized, and VOILA!-a totally new hybrid coral.