NEETZoologyOrganisms and Populations
Which of the following is an example of commensalism?
Options
- ARoses growing as epiphytes on mango branches
- BClownfish and Jellyfish
- CCattle egret and grazing cattle
- DInsects and plants
Correct answer
C. Cattle egret and grazing cattle
Step-by-step solution
This is the interaction in which one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor benefited. An orchid growing as an epiphyte on a mango branch, and barnacles growing on the back of a whale benefit while neither the mango tree nor the whale derives any apparent benefit. The cattle egret and grazing cattle in close association, a sight you are most likely to catch if you live in farmed rural areas, is a classic example of commensalism. The egrets always forage close to where the cattle are grazing because th