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Up next we have the 5 Crab & Loggerhead Sea turtle hosting the 4 Seed Cleaner wrasse & moray eel #2019MMM
In the last round the "crabberhead" defeated the clownfish & anemone in a tragic battle, while the wrasse & eel overcame the fire coral & algae twosome #2019MMM
Tonight we find the crab swimming around the sea turtle where it's picking off small pieces of algae growing on the shell of the turtle, the warm Fijian sea bathes these peaceful mutualists #2019MMM
The sea turtle cannot easily pick off organisms growing on its shell, and the crab not only gets a meal for itself, but increases the hydrodynamic efficiency of the turtle by removing algae, bryozoans and other organisms that increase drag (bit.ly/2HT5xWE) #2019MMM
The crab & turtle, normally open sea organisms, are a bit out of their depth. Literally. But swimming in the shallow coral sea is no problem as they have the ability to swim above the coral #2019MMM
The moray & wrasse are usually sedentary but on occasion they seek out new territories, and thus are comfortable being roving predators. #2019MMM
Tonight these two see the crab & loggerhead and have similar thoughts. The crab looks delicious to the eel while the loggerhead has all that sweet sweet candy. Err epibionts growing on it #2019MMM
The moray strikes at the crab, lashing out grasping the crab with saber like fangs, but then it strikes AGAIN with its secret weapon. Buried deep in its throat is a second set of jaws, known as raptorial jaws, which lash out to position the crab for swallowing #2019MMM
At the same time the cleaner wrasse swoops in and viscously rips and shreds the algae growing on the back of the shell. The water turns green with shattered and destroyed algae bodies. Oh the humanity #2019MMM #PlantCarnage
The turtle hears the eel-based ruckus and shifts to investigate. Seeing a potential threat the turtle strikes out with its sharp, bony beak, severing the moray's spine and sundering in two #2019MMM
The crab, feeling the eel's muscles relax, wriggles out of the formerly deadly maw and swims back to the turtle, hoping to regain its territory from the interloping wrasse #2019MMM
The Loggerhead swims on impassively #2019MMM
The crab, recognizing the rich buffet of epibionts on the turtle's back is not willing to give up so easily. The cleaner wrasse is not used to having to defend its territories against aggressive invertebrates doesn't recognize the threat (bit.ly/2up3cei) . #2019MMM
The crab's thick pincers slash through the thin wrasse's skin, eviscerating it, the wrasse struggles and bites back attempting to harm the crab #2019MMM
But the teeth of the wrasse are designed for delicate manipulation - think tweezers- and are ill suited to crack the hard shell of the crab. THWACK! #2019MMM
Nothing, the teeth bounce off harmlessly and the crab moves in to finish the fish. #2019MMM
CRAB & SEA TURTLE defeats WRASSE & MORAY EEL #2019MMM
