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