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Symbiotic Relationships
Symbiosis is a close association between two or
more organisms of different species.
3 types of associations:
1. Mutualism – both species benefit
2. Commensalism – one species benefits and
the other is neither harmed or benefitted
3. Parasitism – one organism benefits at the
expense of another (predator/prey relationships
are parasitic)
Within any
ecosystem, some
organisms utilize
resources and
reduce the
availability of
those resources
to other
organisms.
The relationship
between a predator
and its prey.
Even predator and prey populations are
related. If the predator population is low,
the numbers of the prey species will
increase. Most predator species will
reproduce in larger numbers if food is
abundant. As the numbers of the predator
species increase, the prey population begins
to decline.
Vermiliad and the Australian Acid Frog: A
vermiliad is a type of plant found in rainforests.
It lives and grows on trees found in this habitat.
The Australian Acid Frog uses the vermiliad as
shelter and often collects water from the leaves
of the vermiliad. The Acid Frog does not eat or
harm the vermiliad in any way.

Grizzly Bear and Salmon: During the summer
months, salmon swim upstream to their
spawning grounds where they reproduce. The
grizzly bear often hunts in shallow water where
the salmon must pass on their journey and can
sometimes catch a salmon out of thin air using
only its teeth.
Malaria Protozoa, Mosquitoes, and Humans:
Malaria is transmitted to humans when an infected
mosquito bites a person and injects the malaria into
the blood. The malaria travels through the
bloodstream and eventually infects the red blood cells.
While in red blood cells, the malaria grows and develops
until a mosquito takes a blood meal from an infected
human and ingests human red blood cells containing
the malaria. Then the malaria reaches the mosquito's
stomach and eventually invades the mosquito’s
salivary glands. When a mosquito bites a human, the
process repeats.
Portuguese Man O’War and the Shepherd
Fish: The Portuguese Man o' War is often
found with a variety of marine fish, including the
shepherd fish. The shepherd fish is able to
avoid the stinging tentacles of the Man O’War
and remain unharmed. The presence of the
shepherd fish attracts other fish that the
Portuguese Man o' War can feed on.
Humpback anglerfish and the Arrow Worm:
The anglerfish lives in tropical to temperate
parts of the ocean at depths of up 6,600 feet.
They have a bait-like appendage, which
resembles a fishing pole, attached to top of their
spine which can be illuminated in order to
attract other deep sea creatures. The Arrow
Worm is one deep sea creature that is attracted
to this deep water “light” and is often eaten by
the Anglerfish if it ventures too closely.
Ramora and Shark: Ramora is fish that has a modified fin
used as a sucker. It suctions itself to the shark. The Ramora
does not harm the shark, but does use the shark as a form of
protection. It then feeds off the scraps as the shark devours its
food.
Termites and intestinal flagellates: Although termites can
physically chew wood, they are incapable of chemically digesting it.
They rely on intestinal flagella tes, which are capable of digesting the
wood. These flagellates live in the gut of termites and provide
nutrition for them. They are not found anywhere else in nature, so it
appears that the flagellate uses the gut of the termite as a habitat and
protection.
Wildflower Pilostyles and Dyeweed: This little wildflower goes by
its name of Pilostyles. It lives completely embedded within the stems
of a desert shrub called dyeweed. Pilostyles have no roots stems or
leaves and pulls nutrients and water from the Dyeweed plant.
Lichens and Plants: Lichens are a type of fungus that grows
on plants. The lichen uses the nutrients provided by its
photosynthetic partner to grow and survive. The plant is
thought to grow slower when lichens are present, but some
scientists argue that the lichen can help hold water for the plant
and prevent from drying out.
Magenta Dottybacks and Isopods: The Dottyback is a saltwater
fish found near coral reefs off the coa st of Australia. The Isopod
enters the fish’s mouth through the gills and attaches itself to the
fish’s tongue. It then extracts the fish’s blood through the claws on
its front three pairs of legs. As the Isopod grows, less and less blood
reaches the fish’s tongue, and eventually the tongue shrinks from
lack of blood. The Isopod then replaces the fish's tongue by attaching
its own body to the muscles of the shrunken tongue stub. The
Dottyback is then able to use the Isopod just like a normal tongue.
North American Tick and Canine: A tick must have blood in order
to survive. The tick often sucks the blood from an animal such as a
dog. The tick secretes saliva that prevents blood from clotting and
can sometimes lead to paralysis in the dog.
Zebra and Oxpecker: The oxpecker (a kind of bird) and the
rhinoceros, or zebra. Oxpeckers land on rhinos, or zebras an d eat
ticks and other parasites that live on their skin. The parasite is the
source of food for the Oxpecker Also, when there is danger, the
oxpeckers fly upward and scream a warning to the beast.
Lynx and Snowshoe Rabbit: The lynx is a stalk-and-ambush
hunter. It will slowly sneak up on its prey, such as a snowshoe
rabbit, while the prey is busy eating, and then pounce on its
victim. The cats rarely chase after potential foo d, especially if
the snow is deep. Instead, they hide behind tree stumps or
rocks until a potential meal walks by.
Humans and Leeches/maggots: Leeches are organisms that
suck blood from the host. Most humans have a fear of leeches,
but doctors have been using leeches to increase circulation and
help heal wounds.
Clownfish and sea anemones: Clownfish are small, brightlycolored fish found in coral reefs. They frequently live in the stinging
tentacles of sea anemones. Clownfish have a mucus layer that
protects it from being stung. It has been suggested that the clownfish
does help the anemone by eating its parasites and fanning it to
increase the circulation of water over its tentacles.