Symbiotic Relationships
Bass
Wrasse Fish
Mutualism
Wrasse fish feed on the parasites found on the black sea bass' body (Usually in the mouth). Dental floss for fish--both species benefit.
Yucca
Yucca Moth
Parasitism
A flea feeds on a mouse's blood to the mouse's detriment.
Parasitism
A cuckoo lays its eggs in the nest of the warbler. The cuckoo's eggs hatch first and the young kick the warbler eggs out of the nest. The warbler raises the cuckoo babies and the warbler babies aren't hatched.
Commensalism
As bison walk through grass, insects become active and are seen and eaten by cowbirds. This relationship neither harms nor benefits the bison.
Honeyguide Bird
Badger
Commensalism
Barnacles create home sites by attaching themselves to whales. As the barnacle is a filter feeder, it also gets access to more water due to the relationship. Whale is unaffected.
Maribou Stork
Bee
Cowbird
Bison
Commensalism
Hermit crabs will move into an old abandoned shell when their shell is no longer big enough to contain them. As the shell is inanimate (not living) , it is unaffected by this relationship.
Mutualism
Honey guide birds alert and direct badgers to bee hives. The badgers then expose the hives and feed on the honey first. Next, the honey guide birds eat. Both benefit.
Parasitism
Mistletoe extras water and nutrients from the spruce tree to the detriment (ill effect) to the spruce
Flea
Mouse
Gazelle
Ostrich
Mutualism
Ostriches and gazelles feed next to each other. They both watch for predators. Because the visual abilities of the two species are different, they can each identify threats that the other animal may not see as readily. Both species benefit.
Mutualism
Oxpeckers feed on the ticks found on a rhinoceros. Both species benefit...the oxpecker gets food and the rhino gets rid of parasites.
Commensalism
Remora attach themselves to a shark's body. They travel with the shark and feed on the leftover food scraps after the shark has finished its meal. The shark is unaffected as it's done eating anyway.
Oxpecker
Rhino
Remora
Shark
Hermit Crab
Shell
Army Ants
Silverfish
Commensalism
Silverfish live and hunt with army ants and share the prey. They neither help nor harm the ants.
Mistletoe
Spruce
Mutualism
The Honeyguide Bird directs the Badger to the bee hives. The Badger then exposes the hives and feeds on the honey first. Next, the Honeyguide Bird eats the honey.
Commensalism
The stork uses its saw-like bill to cut up the dead animals it eats. As a result, the dead animal carcass is accessible to me bees for food and egg layers. The stork is neither harmed nor helped by this relationship.
Parasitism
The tick feeds off the blood of the deer. The deer is negatively affected.
Mutualism
The wrasse fish feeds on the parasites found on the bass fish's body.
Deer
Tick
Cuckoo
Warbler
Barnacle
Whale
Mutualism
Yucca flowers are pollinated by yucca moths. The moths lay their eggs in the flowers where the larvae hatch and eat some of the developing seeds. Both benefit.
Symbiosis
a relationship between two or more different organisms, sometimes benefits both but not always
Definition of Mutualism
a relationship where both organisms benefit
Definition of Parasitism
a relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed
Definition of Commensalism
a relationship where one organism benefits the other is neither harmed or helped
Host
an organism that a parasite lives on
parasite
an organism that live on or near another organism causing them harm
Definition of predator
hunts and kills other animals for food
Definition of Prey
the organism that is hunted and killed for food
Biodiversity
variety of life