Interspecific Relationships

STUDENT ACTIVITY
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 Table of Contents
Page Number(s) Description
1 Cover Page
2 Terms of Use
3 Table of Contents
4 Teacher Instructions
5-8 Interspecific Relationship Posters
9-20 Interspecific Relationship Cards
21-22 Student Response Sheet
23-25 Answer Keys
26 Note from the Seller
27 Credits
 Teacher Instructions
Advance Preparation:
(1) Print mutualism, commensalism, parasitism and predation posters. Laminate for durability.
(2) Print copies of Interspecific Relationship Cards. Laminate for durability.
(3) Make copies of Interspecific Relationship Activity Sheet for each pair of students.

Activity:
(Steps 5-6 can be omitted if time is limited.)
(1) Divide students into groups of 4-6.
(2) Give each group an envelope with a set of relationship cards. Be sure that each set includes
matching pairs, or students will be unable to find symbiotic relationships.
(3) Instruct students to work as a team to identify organisms that might share a relationship based
on the information on each card.
(4) Once they have made a match, they should check with the teacher. If the match is correct,
students should hang their pair of organisms on the board or wall. (These should not be hung in
any particular order – simply as a pair of organisms.)
(5) Once all relationships have been identified, have students regroup to work with a partner of
their choice. It is best for their partner to be from a different group than they worked with in
the first part of the activity.
(6) Give each partnership a copy of Interspecific Relationship Activity Sheet. Students will be working
in pairs to guess what kind of relationship the organisms hung around the room share. Allow
students to move about the room to view the pairs of organisms as they complete their
worksheet. Allow students about 20 minutes to classify as many pairs as possible.
(7) Read off the cards for each pair of organisms. Ask students to share how they classified the
pair of organisms as well as their justification.
(8) If students guess correctly and explain their answer, have them place the pair of organisms
together under the appropriate interspecific relationship poster.
(9) Continue until each pair has been discussed and correctly classified.
MUTUALISM

benefits benefits
COMMENSALISM

benefits no effect
PARASITISM

benefits harmed
PARASITE HOST
 PREDATION
X X

benefits killed
PREDATOR PREY
 MUTUALISM.EXAMPLES

SEA ANEMONE CLEANER FISH RATEL

Eats food scraps and parasites Has strong claws that can
Has stinging tentacles Needs to find food scraps break apart beehives
Needs water flow to feed and parasites to eat Needs honey from beehives

HERMIT CRAB SHARK HONEY-GUIDE BIRD

Able to search out

Has food scraps and and find beehives
Moves around a lot parasites in its mouth Eats beeswax but is not able
Needs protection from predators Needs to get rid of parasites to enter the beehive to get it
 MUTUALISM.EXAMPLES

ACACIA TREE EGYPTIAN PLOVER SHRIMP

Has glands filled with tree sap Eats leeches Digs safe burrows for
and hollow thorns Needs to find a reliable protection
Needs protection from insects source of leeches to eat Blind and cannot spot predators

ANTS NILE CROCODILE GOBY FISH

Able to kill other insects Has leeches in its mouth

Need sugar from tree sap for Needs to get rid of the Good at watching for predators
energy and a safe nesting site leeches in its mouth Needs a burrow for protection
 MUTUALISM.EXAMPLES

CLOWN FISH ALGAE HONEY BEE

Excretes nutritional waste

and eats algae Produces extra nutrients
Needs a place to hide Needs a hard place to live Flies from flower to flower
and be protected for protection Needs nectar from flowers

SEA ANEMONE CORAL REEF FLOWER

Has sweet nectar

Has stinging tentacles Needs its pollen to be
Needs nutrients and protection Provides a hard place to live transported to the pistol
from competition with algae Needs nutrients to grow faster of another flower
 COMMENSALISM.EXAMPLES

SCALE WORM IMPERIAL SHRIMP DEER

Needs a way to access

Needs an ocean animal to live in additional food sources without Moves around a lot through
for protection and water flow using too much energy forests and fields

GUMBOOT CHITON SEA CUCUMBER BURDOCK

Travels along the sea floor and Has sticky burrs that need
Has large openings excretes chemicals that can to be carried around to
under its gills protect against predators make new burdock plants
 COMMENSALISM.EXAMPLES

TREE FROG COW LINED CHITON

Needs a burrow for protection

Needs protection from rain Grazes in a herd in open fields from predators and waves

RAIN FOREST PLANTS CATTLE EGRET SEA URCHIN

Eats insects that get stirred up Makes burrows in the

Many have large, broad leaves by large herds of animals rock for protection
 COMMENSALISM.EXAMPLES

HERMIT CRAB WHALE FRINGE-TOED LIZARD

Uses shells made by other Has large, flat surfaces Needs a hole to live in
animals for protection on its body for protection

SEA SNAIL BARNACLES DESERT RAT

Makes hard, round shells Need a hard, flat, open surface

to live in for protection to attach to and live on Digs holes in the ground
 PARASITISM.EXAMPLES

TICK FLEA MISTLETOE

Lives outdoors and hitchhikes

Lives in the grass and inside on animals and humans
needs to attach to an animal Feeds on the blood of Type of plant that sucks
and eat its blood humans and animals nutrients out of trees

DEER DOG OAK TREE

Runs through the grass Lives both outdoors and indoors

and has blood and has blood Big tree with lots of nutrients
 PARASITISM.EXAMPLES

LEECH TAPE WORM HEAD LICE

Lives in the water and

sucks blood from animals Needs to eat food Needs a dark place to live and
that live in water that is already digested sucks blood from the scalp

FISH PIG HUMAN

Has lots of digested food

Lives in water and has blood in the intestine Has blood and hair on its head
 PARASITISM.EXAMPLES

TONGUE WORM EUCHARITID WASP DODDER PLANT

Vine that wraps around a

Lives in the nasal cavity of a Lays its eggs inside plant and takes nutrients and
carnivore and feeds on blood a caterpillar’s body water from it

TURTLE CATERPILLAR SHRUB

Gets water and nutrients

Eats leaves on trees from the ground to use when
Carnivorous reptile with blood and other plants producing its own food
 PREDATION.EXAMPLES

ANACONDA POISON DART FROG GIANT ANTEATER

Giant water snake that can Small but extremely poisonous Needs to eat more than
eat a single animal whole frog that eats insects 30,000 insects in a day

CAPYBARA GROUND SNAKE LEAF CUTTER ANTS

Live on the forest floor and

Large rodent that lives Is immune to the poison from build underground tunnels to
in and near water the Poison Dart Frog hide from predators
 PREDATION.EXAMPLES

CAPE COBRA RAVEN BOBCAT

Hunts other snakes, rodents, Hunts small rodents, bird eggs, Hunts small reptiles, birds, and
birds and bird eggs young birds, nuts and berries some small insects

MOJAVE SNAKE CONDOR PYGMY OWL

Poisonous snake found in the Endangered species whose A nocturnal bird of prey that
southwestern United States primary threat is the raven mainly hunts large insects
 PREDATION.EXAMPLES

MANTA RAY GREAT WHITE SHARK LION

Filter feeds (like whales) in Swallows small prey whole or Hunting in groups allows them to
order to catch tiny fish takes bites out of larger animals take down large mammals

ZOOPLANKTON KILLER WHALE WILDEBEEST

Tiny organisms that can be found Often graze with zebras which
drifting in oceans, seas, and Able to hold a shark still in its gives heightened awareness of
bodies of fresh water mouth, causing it to suffocate potential predators
Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: ______________________________

INTERSPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS ACTIVITY SHEET

Directions:
(1) Using the information on the organism cards, classify each interspecific pair as
an example of mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, or predation.
(2)Circle one pair from each type of interspecific relationship and explain your
thinking/justify your decision.

Explain how you know this is an example of MUTUALISM.

1.
MUTUALISM

2.
3.
4.
5.

Explain how you know this is an example of COMMENSALISM.

COMMENSALISM

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Explain how you know this is an example of PARASITISM.

1.
PARASITISM

2.
3.
4.
5.

Explain how you know this is an example of PREDATION.

1.
PREDATION

2.
3.
4.
5.
Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: ______________________________

INTERSPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS RECORDING PAGE

Directions:
Use the chart below to record your decisions about each pair of organisms. Fill in
the “faces” for each organism. Identify the relationship. Then explain your thinking.

Type of
Organism 1 Organism 2 Explanation
Relationship
 POSSIBLE ANSWERS
Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: ______________________________

INTERSPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS ACTIVITY SHEET

Directions:
(1) Using the information on the organism cards, classify each interspecific pair as
an example of mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, or predation.
(2)Circle one pair from each type of interspecific relationship and explain your
thinking/justify your decision.

Explain how you know this is an example of MUTUALISM.

1. sea anemone and hermit crab

The crocodile needs to get rid of the parasites
MUTUALISM

2. cleaner fish and shark
3. ratel and honey-guide bird
4. acacia tree and ants
5. Egyptian plover and Nile crocodile
in its mouth. By allowing the plover to “clean”
its teeth, the crocodile benefits from the
relationship. The plover benefits because it
gets food. Because BOTH organisms benefit,
this is an example of mutualism.

Explain how you know this is an example of COMMENSALISM.

COMMENSALISM

1. scale worm and gumboot chiton

2. imperial shrimp and sea cucumber
3. burdock and deer
4. tree frog and rain forest plants
5. cattle egret and cow
By riding on the back of the sea cucumber, the
imperial shrimp has access to more prey
without expending a lot of energy. The shrimp
benefits while the sea cucumber is neither
harmed nor helped by the relationship.
Therefore this is an example of commensalism.

Explain how you know this is an example of PARASITISM.

1. head lice and human
PARASITISM

The mistletoe grows on the oak tree and

2. flea and dog “steals” nutrients from the tree. The oak tree
3. mistletoe and oak tree suffers because it has fewer nutrients while
the mistletoe benefits, so this is an example of
4. leech and fish parasitism. The mistletoe is the parasite. The
5. tapeworm and pig oak tree is the host.

Explain how you know this is an example of PREDATION.

1. anaconda and capybara
PREDATION

The anaconda is a giant carnivorous water

2. poison dart frog and ground snake
3. giant anteater and leaf cutter ants
4. cape cobra and Mojave snake
5. raven and condor
snake that hunts rodents. The capybara is a
rodent that lives in and around water, making
it a perfect target for the anaconda. The
anaconda is the predator. The capybara is the
prey.
 POSSIBLE ANSWERS
Name: ______________________________________________________ Date: ______________________________

INTERSPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS RECORDING PAGE

Directions:
Use the chart below to record your decisions about each pair of organisms. Fill in
the “faces” for each organism. Identify the relationship. Then explain your thinking.

Type of
Organism 1 Organism 2 Explanation
Relationship
Egyptian Nile
plover crocodile The crocodile gets rid of parasites in
mutualism
its mouth. The plover gets food.

imperial sea
shrimp cucumber The shrimp gets a ride and the sea
commensalism cucumber is neither harmed nor
helped.

mistletoe oak tree

The mistletoe is the parasite that
parasitism “steals” nutrients from the tree. The
oak tree is the host that is harmed.

anaconda capybara
The anaconda is the predator that
predation hunts and eats the capybara. The
capybara is the prey.
 ANSWER KEY
MUTUALISM
benefit - benefit
sea anemone – hermit crab
cleaner fish – shark
ratel – honey guide bird
acacia tree – ants
Egyptian plover – Nile crocodile
shrimp – goby fish
clown fish – sea anemone
zooxanthellae – coral reef
honey bee - flower
PARASITISM
benefit - harmed
tick – deer
flea – dog
mistletoe – oak tree
leech – fish
tapeworm – pig
head lice – human
tongue worm – turtle
eucharitid wasp – caterpillar
dodder plant – shrub
COMMENSALISM
benefit – no effect
scale worm – gumboot chiton
imperial shrimp – sea cucumber
burdock – deer
tree frog – rain forest plants
cattle egret – cow
lined chiton – sea urchin
hermit crab – sea snail
barnacles – whale
fringe-toed lizard – desert rat
PREDATION
benefit – killed
anaconda – capybara
poison dart frog – ground snake
giant anteater – leaf cutter ants
cape cobra – Mojave snake
raven – condor
bobcat – pygmy owl
manta ray – zooplankton
great white shark – killer whale
lion - wildebeest
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