Dynamic Ecosystem At Its Best

Ben shares a moment from the aquarium that perfectly shows how dynamic Living Oceans ecosystems can be.

During a morning check of the aquarium, the team noticed that overnight a hermit crab had died and a zombie snail had already started breaking down what remained.

After taking a closer look, Ben spotted a larger hermit crab nearby and pieced together what had likely happened.

Hermit crabs naturally compete for shells and as they grow, they eventually outgrow their current home and need a larger one.

In this case, the larger hermit crab had likely taken over and was already preparing for its next home.

Ben pointed out that in hindsight, the team should have added larger spare shells to support that natural behaviour.

Then something unexpected happened.

A clownfish joined in and started interacting with the zombie snail, eventually moving it to another section of the reef.

There wasn’t a clear explanation for the behaviour, but that’s exactly what Ben loves about these ecosystems.

They’re always changing, always evolving, and always teaching something new.

Moments like this are a reminder that nature is happening in real time, whether it’s in the display room or in your own home.

Thanks for watching.