HIDDEN RELATIONSHIPS One example of the sometimes hidden relationships between different species is symbiosis which is when two or more organisms live closely together There are three main kinds of symbiotic relationship commensalism mutualism and parasitism Each of these relationships has multiple versions with different characteristics but all require a certain amount of balance between the species involved Commensalism In a commensal relationship one organism benefits while the other is neither harmed nor helped Many bird species such as the southern carmine bee eater for example perch on the backs of elephants and other large animals feeding on the insects disturbed by the bigger creatures movements Southern carmine bee eater Merops nubicoides 10
Bluestreak cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus Goatfish Family Mullidae Mutualism In a mutualistic relationship both species benefit and in some cases cannot survive without one another For example when an insect bird or bat feeds on nectar from a flower then visits other flowers of the same species both the plant and the creature benefit The animal gets an energy rich meal in the form of the nectar and in turn carries pollen to the next plant which helps the plant to reproduce Some birds and fish feed on the parasites that infest the skin of larger animals Oxpeckers for example feed on the parasites on oxen and cleaner wrasse on grouper fish In different circumstances the bigger animal might have made a meal of the Bumblebee small bird or fish but instead both species benefit Genus Bombus the smaller one gets a meal while the larger is kept free of irritating pests Parasitism In a parasitic relationship one organism the parasite benefits at the expense of the other the host Perhaps the parasite feeds on the host's blood like a vampire bat or mosquito does or it gets the unwitting host to raise its babies either alongside or instead of the host's own like some birds fish and insects do However even a parasitic relationship requires a great deal of balance as the parasite needs the host to live long enough for the parasite to accomplish its goal Mosquito Family Culicidae II
Mutualism Common clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris The instantly recognizable common clownfish is a small orange white and black fish that grows up to 11 centimetres long Like many other fish species the female clownfish is a lot larger than the male They live in groups with one dominant female and one smaller male breeding while the others care for the nest and defend their home The clownfish is the perfect example of a mutualistic relationship There are around 30 species of clownfish and they all form relationships with sea anemones with both life forms providing a number of benefits to the other The clownfish keep the anemones free of parasites and defend them from predators such as angelfish The constant movement of the little fish in and out of an anemone's tentacles increases water flow which brings in food and helps keep the anemone clean The anemone even absorbs nutrients from the clownfish's excrement helping it to grow larger
In turn the anemone provides the clownfish with a home and a nursery for their babies and protects them from predators with its stinging tentacles The anemone also supplies food in the form of leftover scraps from its meals parasites and the occasional discarded tentacle Sea anemones are poisonous and feed on fish stinging them with their tentacles before consuming them so clownfish have developed a hidden way to survive this mutualistic relationship through evolution which is the way that types of living things change over time A clownfish's body is coated in special mucus that prevents the anemone from recognizing it as food meaning it doesn't get stung Another amazing feature of clownfish is that they are able to change sex from male to female All clownfish start life as males but as they grow older some will change into females If something happens to the dominant female in their group the largest male will change into a female and all the other fish in the group move up one rank Common clownfish are found near the coasts of Southeast Asia Japan and northern Australia but despite their name they are becoming threatened due to their popularity as an aquarium fish 13
