Relationships of Animals

It’s surprising to see the different relationships between different species. One may have difficulty in understanding how they benefit from each other. There are many examples in nature which surprise people like the relationship between the crocodile and the plover bird, the spider crab and algae, sharks and remora fish.

 

As everybody knows, a crocodile is a carnivore with a strong jaw. It doesn’t chew its prey, it swallows it and the prey gets broken up in its stomach. While swallowing, bits and pieces of the prey get stuck in its teeth and they disturb the crocodile. After eating the prey, it opens its mouth and that’s when the plover bird gets into the crocodile’s mouth and starts taking out the pieces of meat and eating them. Both animals benefit from each other in this symbiotic relationship; the crocodile’s teeth are cleaned, its mouth is kept fresh and the bird is fed. In short, it’s a win-win situation. If the crocodile chewed its prey, it wouldn’t have this kind of relation with the plover bird and the bird wouldn’t dare go into its mouth. 

 

The spider crab and algae also have a symbiotic relation like the plover bird and crocodile. Spider crabs live in shallow parts of the ocean floor and are preys to sharks. Algae live on the back of spider crabs as their home and cover the body of spider crabs. Spider crabs get camouflaged by the algae and protected from shark attacks.   

 

Remora fish have suction cups on their heads. Using them they get attached to big fish like sharks and whales. They clean the bacteria and parasites off the big fish and in return they eat the leftovers of the fish and feed themselves.