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 whales tail and clamshrimp 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 eatberries 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.
Predationone eats another (Herbivores eat plants. Carnivores
eats animals.)
