6 Types of Symbiotic Relationships EXPLAINED (with examples)

1. Competition (-/-)

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2 min readOct 27, 2016

Definition: the struggle of individuals to obtain a shared limiting resource
Competitive Exclusion Principle: Two different species cannot share the same resource in the same conditions; one will always be excluded from the resource if it has a competitive disadvantage
Resource Partitioning: Different species can share, or partition, the same resource if they have different behaviors in using that resource
Example: coyotes and wolves hunt similar prey, but at different times of day, which allows them to coexist

Definition: an interaction in which one animal typically kills and consumes another animal
Example: lions eating gazelles, cows eating grass

Definition: an interaction in which one organism (the parasite) lives on or in another organism (the host)
Key Distinctions: Many parasites are necessary to harm a host, as each only has a small effect
Examples: tapeworms, bacteria, pathogens (parasites that cause disease)

Definition: an interaction in which an animal consumes a producer, or plant
Key Distinctions: Usually, animals only eat a portion of a plant without ‘killing’ it
Examples: Gazelles eating grass, or sea urchins eating algae

Definition: When two interacting species benefit each other by mutually increasing both species’ chances of survival or reproduction
Examples: Oxpecker birds gain a safe habitat on rhinoceros’s backs and in exchange eat parasites and insects that would harm rhinos

Definition: Species interactions in which one species benefits, but the other is neither harmed nor helped
Examples: fish hide in coral reefs and gain protection from predators without affecting the reefs