Question

A remora is a fish that has an adhesive disk on the back of its head that it uses to attach itself to a large shark. When food floats away from the shark’s mouth as it feeds, the remora collects the scraps. The relationship between the remora and the shark is an example of:

a) Competition
b) Parasitism
c) Mutualism
d) Predation

Answer 1

The remora's relationship with the shark is an example of mutualism, where both species benefit from their association.

Step-by-step explanation:

The relationship between the remora and the shark is an example of mutualism. In mutualism, both species benefit from the relationship. Remoras use their adhesive disks to attach to sharks and eat the leftover food scraps from the shark's meals. The shark benefits by having cleaner skin and perhaps reduced parasites due to the remora's presence, though the specific benefits to the shark in this relationship can be more subtle and are still discussed by researchers. This situation is distinct from parasitism, where one organism benefits at the other's expense, or predation, where one organism feeds on another. Competition is also not applicable here since the remora and shark are not competing for resources but rather sharing a symbiotic association.