commensalism
Harmless biological hitchhiking
Commensalism is a biological relationship between two organisms where one benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed.
It sits between mutualism, where both species benefit, and parasitism, where one benefits at the other's expense.
A classic example is barnacles attaching to whales—the barnacles gain transport and access to food while the whale is unaffected.
The relationship between cattle egrets and grazing livestock is often cited as commensalism.
Fish with adhesive disc
- sharkCartilaginous marine predator
- barnacleSessile marine crustacean
- whaleHuge sea mammal
- epiphyteNon-parasitic botanical hitchhiker
orchid · pilotfish · buffalo · pseudoscorpion · beetle · treefrog · booby · nest
Interspecies biological interdependence
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
- parasitismOne benefits, one suffers
- neutralismDeliberate avoidance of alliances
- one-sidedUnfairly weighted toward one
unaffected · nondestructive · harmless · coexistence · interdependence · obligate · facultative
One receiving guests
- beneficiaryDesignated asset receiver
- interactionReciprocal action between parties
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- microbiotaResident microscopic organisms
gut flora · species · ecosystem · niche · biodiversity · food web · population · community
remora
Fish with adhesive disc
epiphyte · orchid · pilotfish · buffalo · pseudoscorpion · beetle · treefrog · booby · nest · goby
symbiosis
Interspecies biological interdependence
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
- parasitismOne benefits, one suffers
- neutralismDeliberate avoidance of alliances
one-sided · unaffected · nondestructive · harmless · coexistence · interdependence · obligate · facultative
host
One receiving guests
- beneficiaryDesignated asset receiver
- interactionReciprocal action between parties
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
microbiota · gut flora · species · ecosystem · niche · biodiversity · food web · population · community
attachment
Connection or fondness
foraging · dispersal · hitchhiking · substrate · colonization
commensalismparasitism
One benefits, one suffers
mutualism · predation · mutual benefit · antagonism · competition
commensalismparasitism
One benefits, one suffers
parasitic relationship · exploitation · vampirism · disease transmission · infestation