Remoras attach themselves to a shark’s body. They travel with the shark and feed on the left over food scraps from the shark’s meals.

Who benefits?
Who is harmed?
Who is neutral?
What relationship is this?

1 answer

In the scenario you've described:

  • Who benefits? The remoras benefit from the relationship by getting food scraps from the shark’s meals and by gaining protection as they ride along with the shark.

  • Who is harmed? The shark is generally neutral in this relationship; the presence of remoras typically does not harm the shark. However, if the remoras were to have a significant negative impact (which they usually do not), then the shark could be considered harmed. In most cases, the shark does not suffer any direct harm from the remoras.

  • Who is neutral? The shark is generally considered neutral in this relationship since the remoras do not harm it and it doesn't derive any additional benefit from their presence.

  • What relationship is this? This is an example of commensalism, a type of symbiotic relationship where one party (the remoras) benefits while the other party (the shark) is neither helped nor harmed.