By Susanne Masters
Like people, snakelocks anemones (Anemonia viridis) contain multitudes, in the form of microbial communities living within them. Inhabiting the body of an animal that can defend itself with stings provides zooxanthellae, tiny algae, with relatively safe accommodation. In return the host benefits from a share of the energy they capture from sunlight in the process of photosynthesis. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement in which food is exchanged for housing.