Predation, Mutualism,
Commensalism, or Parasitism
Commensalism
Commensalism is a relationship between
two living organisms where one benefits
and the other is neither harmed nor
helped.
The clownfish lives among the forest
of tentacles of an anemone and is
protected from potential predators.
Some birds live among cattle to eat the
insects stirred up as they walk. One
example are egrets who hunt for
insects near a grazing animal's mouth.
One animal attaching itself to another
for transportation such as barnacles
attach to shells or whales or a shrimp
riding on a sea slugs.
barnacles on whale’s tail and clam
shrimp riding on a sea slug
One species uses a second
organism for housing such as small
mammals or birds that lives in holes
in trees or orchids which live in trees.
Orchid in rainforest Venezuela
Parasitism
One organism, usually physically smaller of
the two (the parasite) benefits and the
other (the host) is harmed
Ticks and fleas that live in a host
animal's fur bite the animal and
drink its blood are parasites.
Insects such as mosquitoes
feeding on a host are parasites.
Vines such as Kudzu growing on Trees
Tomato Hornworm with Wasp Eggs
Tapeworm or Hookworms living in
Host's Gut
The roots of the Owl Clover are
partly parasitic on the roots of other
desert wildflowers.
Mutualism
Both species benefit from the interaction.
Flowers and their Pollinators
(examples: Bees and
hummingbirds gather nectar and
spread pollen.)
Birds and mammals eat berries and
fruits while the plant benefits by the
dispersal of it seeds.
Algae and Fungi > Lichen - Alga
gets water and nutrients from the
fungus and the fungus gets food
from the algae.
Cleaners eat insect pests from the skin
of animals. (ex: Egyptian plover cleans
giraffes and buffaloes)
Many herbivores such as cows, sheep,
deer, horses and rabbits depend on
bacteria that live in their stomachs to
break down the plant material.
Coral Reefs- The corals get food
and the algae get protection.
Predation
one eats another (Herbivores eat plants.
Carnivores eats animals.)