Adaptations for Survival: Symbioses, Camouflage & Mimicry OCN 201 Biology Lecture 10 http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/03/24_octopus.shtml Symbiosis • Parasitism - negative effect on host • Commensalism - no effect on host • Mutualism - both parties benefit Often involves food but benefits may also include protection from predators, dispersal, or habitat Parasitism Leeches (Segmented Worms) Tongue Louse (Crustacean) Nematodes (Roundworms) Commensalism or Mutualism? Anemone shrimp http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ Anemone fish http://www.scuba-equipment-usa.com/marine/APR04/ Mutualism Cleaner Shrimp and Eel http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ Whale Barnacles & Lice What kinds of symbioses are these? Commensal Parasite Camouflage • Often important for predators and prey to avoid being seen • Predators to catch their prey and prey to hide from their predators • Camouflage: Passive or adaptive Passive Camouflage Countershading Sharks Birds Countershading coloration of the Caribbean reef shark © George Ryschkewitsch Fish JONATHAN CHESTER Mammals shiftingbaselines.org/blog/big_tuna.jpg http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/images/cetaceans/orca_spyhopping-noaa.jpg Passive Camouflage http://www.cspangler.com/images/photos/aquarium/weedy-sea-dragon2.jpg Adaptive Camouflage Camouflage by Accessorizing Decorator crab Friday Harbor Marine Health Observatory http://www.projectnoah.org/ Camouflage by Mimicry http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/03/24_octopus.shtml Mimicry • Animals can gain protection (or even access to prey) by looking like something they are not • Many types of mimicry (3 examples): • Müllerian- two dangerous animals evolve to look similar • Batesian- a non-dangerous animal evolves to look like something dangerous • Agressive - a dangerous animal evolves to look like something non-dangerous Batesian Mimicry An edible species evolves to resemble an inedible species to avoid predators Pufferfish (poisonous) Filefish (non-poisonous) Batesian Mimicry Nudibranchs & Flatworms Toxic Nudibranchs Non-Toxic Flatworms http://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~bu6/Introduction06.html Batesian Mimicry Nudibranchs & Flatworms Toxic Nudibranchs Non-Toxic Flatworms http://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~bu6/Introduction06.html Aggressive Mimicry Predator or parasite mimics something harmless! Cleaner Wrasse Sabre-toothed Blenny Frogfish lures http://theliquidearth.org/2012/10/the-mimic-octopus/.