We found algae-farming fish that domesticate tiny shrimp to help run their farms

We found algae-farming fish that domesticate tiny shrimp to help run their farms

Source: the conversation

12/7/2020

We found algae-farming fish that domesticate tiny shrimp to help run their farms

Humans are experts at domesticating other species and our world would be unrecognisable without it. There would be no cities, no supermarkets, and no pets. Domestication is a special kind of cooperative relationship, where one species provides prolonged support in exchange for a predictable resource.

While humans have domesticated various plants and animals, these relationships are surprisingly rare in other species. It’s true some insects (ants, beetles, and termites among them) domesticate fungi, but few other examples exist outside the insect world.

In our new study, we describe what appears to be first example of a non-human vertebrate domesticating another animal.