Bartholomea annulata is a facultative host of the A. armatus species complex. In the Mexican Caribbean it is commonly found in cracks and crevices located where the vertical walls meet the sandy bottom or on large coral patches away from the sand. To protect themselves from predators, anemones often contract their hydraulic body into a cavernous den and extend the stinging tentacles towards the entrance. The high sediment dynamics of the region, however, result in a permanent risk of animal shelters to be obstructed by sand. By both analysing field data and conducting laboratory experiments with artificial shelters, the present study explored the den cleaning behaviour widely extended amongst alpheid shrimp, and its role in the alpheid-anemone symbiotic interaction. Videorecordings showed that den cleaning was composed of three main behaviours: digging, tossing and tamping. It commenced as soon as 7.2 ± 10.5 minutes after anemones were recognised by alpheids, and behaviours were displayed systematically amongst all 12 replicates. Despite being completely burrowed in sand, Alpheus spp were capable of finding the anemone and liberating the entrance of the artificial shelters in less than 2.5 hours. In addition, manipulative experiments showed that anemones confronted with shelters that were obstructed with sediment had a 25% probability of fully retracting when Alpheus spp. were absent, compared to a 75% probability when shrimps had cleaned the shelter´s entry and internal passage. The analysis of field data indicated that the presence of alpheid shrimps as symbionts of B. annulata was 30% higher amongst anemones in close contact with sandy bottoms than when inhabiting crevices on the top or lateral walls of hard substrates, away from the sediment. Overall, our study concludes that den cleaning constitutes a quick and effective mechanism to assure the anemone’s full retraction into their den, and by keeping the sediment away, alpheids provide the necessary conditions that serve both the anemone´s and the shrimp´s higher chances of acquiring maximum protection from predators. This advantageous exchange in protection partially explains why alpheids are more frequently present in B. annulata in interface microhabitats where the benefit of the interaction is maximized.

中文翻译：

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家庭清洁的重要性：甲虫虾的洞穴和沉积物运输为其寄主海葵提供了竞争优势

Bartholomea annulata是armatus物种复合体的兼性寄主。在墨西哥加勒比海地区，通常会发现裂缝和缝隙，这些裂缝和缝隙位于垂直墙与沙底相遇的地方，或者在远离沙子的大型珊瑚斑块上。为了保护自己免受掠食者的侵害，海葵经常将其液压体收缩成海绵状洞穴，并将触手伸向入口。然而，该地区的高沉积物动力学导致存在动物庇护所的永久性风险被沙子阻塞的危险。通过分析现场数据和使用人工庇护所进行实验室实验，本研究探索了在除藻虾中广泛传播的巢穴清洁行为及其在除藻-氨酮共生相互作用中的作用。录像显示，窝房清洁由三个主要行为组成：挖掘，折腾和夯实。它在海葵被海星体识别后的7.2±10.5分钟内立即开始，并且在所有12个重复样本中系统地显示了行为。尽管被完全埋在沙子中，Alpheus spp仍能够在不到2.5小时内找到海葵并释放出人工庇护所的入口。此外，操纵性实验显示，当Alpheus spp出现时，面对被沉积物阻塞的避难所的海葵有25％的可能性完全缩回。则没有虾，而虾清理了避难所的入口和内部通道的概率为75％。野外数据分析表明，存在甲虫虾作为B的共生体。与沙质底部紧密接触的海葵中，与在远离沉积物的硬质基质的顶壁或侧壁上缝隙中居住相比，其海葵的环比高30％。总的来说，我们的研究得出的结论是，清洁巢穴是确保海葵完全缩回其巢穴中的一种快速有效的机制，而通过使沉积物远离，除藻剂提供了满足海葵和虾更高机会的必要条件。获得捕食者最大的保护。这种保护方面的有利交换部分地解释了为什么在界面微生境中，环孢菌中更频繁地存在类群藻，在这种微生境中，相互作用的好处被最大化。我们的研究得出的结论是，清洁巢穴是确保海葵完全缩回其巢穴中的一种快速有效的机制，通过使沉积物远离，海藻类提供了为海葵和虾获得更多机会提供必要条件的条件。最大限度地保护免受掠食者的侵害。这种保护方面的有利交换部分地解释了为什么在界面微生境中，环孢菌中更频繁地存在类群藻，在这种微生境中，相互作用的好处被最大化。我们的研究得出的结论是，清洁巢穴是确保海葵完全缩回其巢穴的一种快速有效的机制，通过使沉积物远离，海藻类提供了满足海葵和虾更高获取机会的必要条件。最大限度地保护免受天敌。这种保护方面的有利交换部分地解释了为什么在界面微生境中，环孢菌中更频繁地存在类群藻，在这种微生境中，相互作用的好处被最大化。