1. SYMBIOSIS ACTIVITY DEBRIEF Tahoma Jr. High 8 th Grade Science Maple Valley, WA

2. DISCLAIMER Keep in mind that symbiosis is sometimes not clearly “black & white” in what type it is. Much depends on “how much of what” is going on.

3. EXAMPLE: Rat and Flea

4. PARASITISM Flea sucks blood harming rat (it was the flea on the rat that carried bubonic / Black plague bacterium that killed 1/3 of Europe in the 1330s)

5. Cleaner Shrimp and Zebra Moray Eel

6. MUTUALISM Cleaner Shrimp clean moray eel of parasites getting easy food source and moray eel is healthier without the parasites (and no one’s going to bother you when you’re hanging out around a moray eel!) here’s one going into a human’s mouth ! (instinct is a very powerful force)

7. Silverfish and Army Ant

8. COMMENSALISM silverfish live in army ant nest and scavenge on the leftovers – not disturbing the ants.

9. Shark and Remora

10. COMMENSALISM remora just hitching a ride and getting scraps of leftover food PARASITISM remora creates drag on the host animal ? MUTUALISM remora cleans parasites off host ?

11. Euglossine bee and Orchid

12. MUTUALISM bee gets scent from orchid to aid in mating – orchid glues pollen sac to bee’s back (below) and then will pollinate another orchid (some other orchids’ methods to attract bees are very tricky – even imitating a female to mate with!)

13. Hermit Crab and Snail

14. COMMENSALISM Hermit crab uses snail’s shell, but only after snail has died and left shell empty *(though there are some different species of snails that live next to the crab on the old snail’s shell – still commensalism)

15. Marabou Stork and Bee

16. COMMENSALISM stork uses large bill to open tough hides of dead animals, allowing bee to lay eggs inside after stork has left

17. Cecropia Tree and Azteca ants

18. MUTUALISM ants chase away predators of the tree and cut away young vines that could choke the tree – tree is hollow and provides protection and sugar water for food. (and is a “paid bodyguard”) the tree’s branches grow hollow – ready to accept ant helpers

19. Zombie ant and fungus

20. PARASITISM fungus infects ant’s brain making it go to a dark, moist place to make more spores (and kills ant). the fungus has its own parasite too – another fungus that grows on top and sterilizes the first “zombie” fungus

21. Cat and Toxoplasma gondii

22. PARASITISM Cats eat infected mice (who are “controlled” to lose their fear of cats!), parasite uses cat to reproduce. Many humans are infected but immune system keeps it under control. Common for humans to be infected but immune system makes it rare to have effects (so don’t go home “mad at your cat”! ; )

23. Oak and Mistletoe

24. PARASITISM Although the mistletoe can do some photosynthesis, it gets its nutrients from the host oak – its roots never reach the ground (careful, its berries and leaves have poisonous chemicals)

25. Pearl Fish and Sea Cucumber

26. COMMENSALISM Pearl Fish lives inside Sea Cucumber (inside its anus!) for protection, not affecting Sea Cucumber *some parasitic species though eat the innards (which grow back quickly)

27. Angler Fish and bacteria (in the “esca”)

28. MUTUALISM bacteria get nutrients and safe home inside the fish – fish gets “bioluminescent lure” (biological light from chemicals) to lure prey – and since these lures are only on females, are probably used to attract a mate (who’s MUCH smaller)

29. Ostrich and Gazelle

30. MUTUALISM ostrich good eyes – gazelle good ears - they help each other lookout for predators but ostriches are taller and always have someone on lookout duty with their head up, so maybe they do MORE work? (like some students doing group projects??!)

31. Crocodile and Plover bird is that bird going to be eaten?? (pictures can be deceiving if you don’t know the WHOLE story…)

32. MUTUALISM Same thing as the Cleaner Shrimp or Cleaner Wrasse – bird cleans out croc’s mouth for free, easy food (and protection hanging around the crocs) and croc get a “dental cleaning” to avoid disease Crocs and alligators are not very smart, but those distinctive stripes will trigger their “memory” not to eat this bird – it’s instinct

33. Human and E. coli

34. MUTUALISM There are many “strains” of E. coli – you usually only hear about the few bad ones. You were born without bacteria in your gut and had to “populate” it with healthy versions of them – as they help you absorb Vitamins B and K and consume bad “germs”. You provide them with a safe place to live and food brought right to them. end show