Solveeit Logo

Question

Question: In symbiotic relationships, groups of two or more organisms live in physical proximity. The types of...

In symbiotic relationships, groups of two or more organisms live in physical proximity. The types of symbiosis that depict commensalism is
(A)An egret riding on the back of a cow, looking for food in cow patties
(B)A little bird riding on the back of a rhino, picking parasites off the back of the rhino
(C)Undertaker bees removing dead bees from the hive of worker bees
(D)A wrasse cleaning the parasites off the gills of a bigger fish
(E)All of the above are commensalism

Explanation

Solution

Commensalism- It is defined as a process of an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm. It is shown by many organisms, one example is a bird which is a species of heron family found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones.

Complete answer:
The type of symbiosis that depicts commensalism is a bird which is known as egret which ride on the back of a cow, looking for food in cow patties and at it’s back.The egret (Bubulcus ibis) forages in pastures and fields among livestock like cattle and horses, feeding on the insects stimulated by the movement of the grazing animals. The egrets have the benefit of the arrangement, but the livestock, generally, do not. However, as in most cases of commensalism, there's a "but". Cattle Egrets are observed perching on the highest of cattle picking off ticks, lending a small tinge of mutualism to the arrangement.

Additional Information: The Bubulcus ibis feeds on a huge variety of prey, particularly insects, which include grasshoppers, crickets, flies (adults and maggots, and moths, also as spiders, frogs, lizards, and earthworms. In a very rare case, they need been observed foraging along the branches of a banyan for ripe figs. These species are mostly found associated with cattle and other large grazing and browsing animals, and catches small creatures which may harm the mammals. It was seen that the Bubulcus ibis foraging success is far higher when foraging near an outsized animal than when feeding singly. When foraging with cattle, it's been shown to be 3.6 times more successful in capturing prey than when foraging alone. Its performance is analogous when it follows farm machinery, but it's forced to maneuver more.
So, the correct answer is ‘An egret riding on the back of a cow, looking for food in cow patties’.

Note: Example of commensalism other than the Egret bird includes that of the Remora fish. The Remora fish has a special disk on their heads that makes them able to attach to larger animals, such as sharks, and whales. When the larger animal feeds, the remora detaches itself to eat the extra food left by the larger organism.