Buzz
Numerous creatures form fascinatingly strange symbiotic relationships. In simple terms, symbiosis is a partnership where two different species engage in a mutually beneficial relationship through physical interaction.
Such bonds can be based on activities like cleaning, providing protection, offering transportation, or assisting in food acquisition. However, sometimes the line between a genuinely helpful relationship and a potentially harmful one can be quite blurry. Let’s dive into some truly beneficial relationships between creatures, both big and small.
10. African Oxpeckers
African oxpeckers spend much of their time perched on elephants, rhinos, zebras, and cape buffalo, feeding on ticks that infest the skin of these mammals. This provides the birds with all the nourishment they need, while the hosts appear to benefit from the removal of parasites.
It is believed that this relationship began long ago, as the oxpecker’s beak seems specially adapted for digging deep into the host’s thick skin (ouch!), allowing the bird to find its food. The oxpeckers also give a shrill warning call, alerting other birds and their hosts to potential dangers. However, this relationship isn't always entirely beneficial for both parties involved.
While oxpeckers help remove ticks, they also feed on the blood from open wounds in their hosts' skin. This provides another food source for the birds, but it turns the relationship into something more parasitic. Despite the potential risks, including infection, the hosts like elephants and zebras might tolerate this behavior for the bird's cleaning services.
Oxpeckers aren’t always completely helpful. Occasionally, they will ignore ticks that aren’t filled with blood—an essential nutrient for the bird. In these instances, they let the ticks continue to feed on the host until they become more desirable to the oxpecker.
9. Crabs and Sea Anemones
“Can I get a ride, man?” This is how certain sea anemones might ask some crab species in the ocean. Sea anemones often hitch a ride on the backs of hermit crabs, traveling across the seabed. While they’re being transported, the anemones use their tentacles to collect scraps from the crabs' meals.
So, what does the crab gain from this arrangement?
The sea anemone offers protection to the hermit crab from hungry predators like octopuses. The anemone’s barbed tentacles make the crab less appetizing to potential threats. In return, crabs help defend the anemones from creatures that might want to feast on them.
Interestingly, this isn't a random occurrence. Crabs actively seek out sea anemones to place on their backs. When a hermit crab changes shells, it uses its pincers to move the anemone and reattach it to its new shell.
Boxer crabs also form a symbiotic bond with sea anemones, and their partnership is particularly fascinating. The boxer crab holds sea anemones in its claws, resembling pom-pom boxing gloves. The crabs use the anemones' stinging tentacles as a defense against predators, while the anemones benefit by consuming the food particles that accumulate around the crab’s habitat.
It’s a mutually beneficial relationship for both parties.
8. Warthogs and Mongooses
In Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, scientists have observed an unusual alliance between warthogs and mongooses. Warthogs have been seen deliberately lying down in the dirt when mongooses are nearby, indicating a strange, purposeful interaction between the two species.
The warthogs enjoy a cleaning session while the sharp-toothed mongooses remove insects, particularly ticks, from their skin. The mongooses get a meal, and the warthogs get rid of parasites. Sometimes, several mongooses will even climb onto the warthog’s back, working together to groom its tough skin.
7. Cleaner Fish
If you’re a fish without a dental plan, don’t worry—you’re in luck! Just swim over to a “cleaning station” in your local reef where cleaner fish, like cleaner wrasses and gobies, are ready to remove unwanted parasites and debris from your mouth and other parts of your body.
When fish like parrotfish, damselfish, and even sharks enter a reef cleaning station, they adopt a special pose that signals to the cleaner fish that it’s safe to approach. The cleaner fish then get to work feasting on parasites, mucus, and dead skin from their client fish.
If the cleaner fish becomes too aggressive and starts nibbling too much mucus or tissue, the client fish may end the cleaning relationship. The most famous cleaner fish are the cleaner wrasses, found in the coral reefs of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. These fish are easily identifiable by their vibrant blue stripes, making them visible to larger fish in need of a cleaning.
6. Crocodile and Plover
In Africa, crocodiles have a fascinating relationship with plovers. After eating, a crocodile will crawl onto the riverbank, find a comfortable spot, and sit with its mouth wide open. This gesture signals the plover to enter the crocodile’s mouth and pick out any leftover food stuck between its teeth.
The plovers assist by cleaning the crocodile's mouth, preventing infections from leftover meat while also removing insects from the reptile’s skin. In return, the birds get a free meal, and the crocodile enjoys a thorough dental checkup and cleaning—quite the beneficial arrangement!
If a plover senses danger while feeding inside the crocodile’s jaws, it emits a loud warning call and flies away. This alerts the crocodile, which quickly dashes into the water to avoid any potential threats.
5. Coyote and Badger
When coyotes and badgers team up, they combine their unique hunting abilities to increase their chances of catching prey. Yes, you read that correctly—coyotes and badgers actually cooperate!
How does this partnership work?
The larger coyote chases prey across the open prairie or grasslands. Meanwhile, the badger waits in the burrows of animals like ground squirrels or prairie dogs, waiting to catch them as they return home. So, if the prey tries to flee aboveground, the coyote grabs it; if it tries to hide underground, the badger makes the catch.
While only one predator leaves with a meal, studies on this partnership show that the combined effort of these animals significantly boosts the chances of securing food for both. Coyotes and badgers generally eat the same prey and naturally compete for food, but the tricky prairie dogs are difficult to catch since they rarely stray far from their burrows. The badger-coyote alliance is crucial for hunting them.
Some coyotes may gather in loose groups, but they mostly live solitary lives, rarely hunting in packs. Interestingly, badgers are even more solitary, making their alliance with the coyote all the more unusual.
Research indicates that coyotes who team up with badgers are able to catch about one-third more prey than those hunting alone. So, if you’re out hiking, keep an eye out for these two working together.
4. Gobies and Pistol Shrimp
Pistol shrimp and gobies form a remarkable partnership on the ocean floor. As roommates, these two very different creatures maintain a smooth and cooperative relationship. The shrimp, who is okay with sharing its space, digs a hole, while the goby stands guard, keeping watch over both the shrimp and its shelter.
With its sharp eyesight, the goby is quick to spot predators and alerts the shrimp, allowing it to hide. This mutual protection turns their shared space into a mini underwater home, where both creatures thrive.
Since pistol shrimp are mostly blind, they rely on the goby to signal when it’s time to leave the burrow in search of food. The shrimp uses its antennae to keep in touch with the goby as they move through the water. Living on the open seafloor with minimal shelter, the shrimp’s survival depends heavily on the symbiotic relationship with the goby.
It’s been observed that gobies even go as far as gathering algae and other food for their shrimp companions. The goby may also bring algae to the burrow entrance, allowing the blind shrimp to access it easily. If danger approaches, the goby warns the shrimp by flicking its tail.
In return for the protection, the shrimp provides the goby with a secure home. The goby uses this safe space to perform a courtship ritual, which can take a bit of time (awkward!). Interestingly, over 100 species of goby have been found in symbiotic relationships with shrimp.
3. People And Honeyguides
Our final example of symbiosis takes us to Tanzania, where the greater honeyguide, a bird found in Africa, shares a unique bond with the Hadza people. After responding to a special human call, the small bird leads the tribespeople directly to a beehive full of honey.
The Hadza people use various calls—such as whistles, shouts, and even words—to attract the honeyguides. When the birds hear these calls, they respond by adjusting their sounds, signaling when they are near a beehive. Curiously, these birds are not trained or domesticated in any way.
So, why would a bird go out of its way to help humans?
It turns out that honeyguides enjoy a good meal just like humans. After spotting the beehive, the Hadza climb up the tree to extract pieces of honeycomb. To safely retrieve the honeycomb, the tribespeople use smoke to calm the bees, allowing them to gather the honey without getting stung.
Once they have their honeycomb, the Hadza leave some smoked pieces behind for the honeyguides to feast on. Scientists believe this mutual relationship between the African tribespeople and the honeyguides has lasted for thousands, if not millions, of years. However, the special calls used by the tribespeople have likely evolved over time and across regions.
2. Colombian Lesserblack Tarantula And Dotted Humming Frog
One of the most unusual symbiotic relationships is between the dotted humming frog and the Colombian lesserblack tarantula, both of which are found in South America. Although the tarantula could easily kill and consume the small frog, it chooses to spare it, creating an unexpected bond between these two species.
Rather than harming the frog, the large tarantula spider allows the tiny frog to live in its burrow. In return for shelter, the frog offers the spider protection from ants that might threaten the spider's eggs, creating a mutually beneficial arrangement between the two.
There have even been instances where tarantulas have grabbed the frogs, examined them with their mouthparts, and then released them without causing any harm.
1. Remoras
Remoras, also known as suckerfish, are typically between 0.30 and 0.90 meters (1 to 3 feet) in length. Remarkably, their front dorsal fins have evolved into a suction cup-like structure that allows them to latch onto the undersides of manta rays or sharks as they swim by.
In exchange for a free ride, remoras feed on leftover scraps from their host’s meals. However, this relationship is not one-sided: the remora also provides a cleaning service, removing parasites and bacteria from the host's skin. This cleaning is vital for the larger animals, as lingering bacteria can cause skin irritation or infections, making the remora an essential partner for its massive hosts.
Sharks have been seen guarding their remora companions in exchange for the cleaning services they provide. While most sharks tolerate the presence of remoras, certain species such as lemon sharks and sandbar sharks can become aggressive, sometimes even eating the small fish.
