NEETZoologyOrganisms and Populations
What characteristic of commensalism is evident in the example of barnacles on the back of a whale?
Options
- ABoth species benefit from the interaction
- BThe whale benefits from having barnacles on it
- CThe barnacles benefit while the whale is unaffected
- DBoth species are harmed by the interaction
Correct answer
C. The barnacles benefit while the whale is unaffected
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