Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
symbiosis
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
symbiosis
Examine commensalism among fish species such as shrimp, the neon goby, and moray eels
Related Questions
Read Next
Model of global ocean currents and temperatures
How Do Ocean Currents Affect the Biosphere?
Path through summer forest in the Ukraine. (trees, lush, green, walk, walkway, road, Ukrainia, Ukrainian, woods)
What Is the Difference Between Primary and Secondary Ecological Succession?
Praying mantis (sphodromantis gastrica)
Why Do Some Animals Eat Their Mates After Sex?
Discover
January 21, 2019: Superbowl LIII will be played at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, February 3, 2019 against the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams.
What Was the Super Bowl’s First Blockbuster Commercial?
Shah Jahan. Taj Mahal. Mughal architecture. Emperor Shah Jahan fifth Mughal Emperor (reigned 1628-1658) India, Himachal Pradesh, Basohli or Jammu and Kashmir, Mankot, circa 1690 Drawings; Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper (see notes)
6 Important Mughal Emperors
earthquake. Heavily damaged school in the town of Yingxiu after a major earthquake struck China's Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008.
The 6 Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1950
Binary Computer Code, Binary Code, Internet, Technology, Password, Data
How Does Wi-Fi Work?
bird. mourning dove. pigeon and dove. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) family Columbidae.
Nikola Tesla's Weird Obsession with Pigeons
Orange basketball on black background and with low key lighting. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time
Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece
Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents
symbiosis
symbiosis Clownfish (Amphiprion) amid sea anemones (Heteractis magnifica), Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The two species protect each other from predators in mutual symbiosis.

symbiosis

biology
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/science/symbiosis
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Also known as: symbiont
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
Key People:
Lynn Margulis

symbiosis, any of several living arrangements between members of two different species, including mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Both positive (beneficial) and negative (unfavourable to harmful) associations are therefore included, and the members are called symbionts.

Any association between two species populations that live together is symbiotic, whether the species benefit, harm, or have no effect on one another.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.