SAT OwlQuestion bank / Command of Evidence
Clownfish live among the stinging tentacles of sea anemones, which protect them from predators. Marine biologist Rosa Delgado hypothesizes that young clownfish find a suitable host anemone mainly by using their sense of smell.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support Delgado's hypothesis?
Clownfish are found on coral reefs in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Adult clownfish are brightly colored, which makes them easy to spot on a reef.
In tank experiments, young clownfish swam toward water that had flowed over their usual host anemone, even when the anemone itself was out of sight.
Some species of anemones sting fish other than clownfish.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
Delgado's hypothesis is about smell. In choice C, young clownfish move toward water carrying the anemone's scent even though they cannot see the anemone, which points to smell as the way they find it.
Choice B involves sight rather than smell, and it describes adults instead of how young clownfish locate a host.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. This fact about geographic location does not explain the mechanism young clownfish use to locate a host anemone.
- B. This choice focuses on visual appearance and adult fish, which does not support the hypothesis that young fish rely on smell.
- D. This detail explains why anemones are dangerous to other fish but does not address how clownfish detect the anemone.
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