EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -In the case of barnacles and whales, only the barnacles benefit from attaching to the whales, but at no biological cost to the whale. This type of symbiotic relationship is known as commensalism.

Detailed explanation-2: -Commensalism is a relationship which is beneficial to one organism and the other is unaffected. Barnacles growing on the back of a whale, gets protection and more access to food due to its relationship with the whale, while the whale is unaffected by this relationship therefore this relationship is commensalism.

Detailed explanation-3: -Whale barnacles are a specialized family of acorn barnacles, the filter-feeding marine crustaceans that affix themselves to various surfaces and encase their soft bodies in volcano-shaped shells.

Detailed explanation-4: -Whale poop feeds phytoplankton, the tiny marine algae that produce more than half of the world’s oxygen. Phytoplankton feed small fish, who work their way up the food chain to feed larger animals like sharks and dolphins.

Detailed explanation-5: -Grey whales can use their barnacles for defense against predators. Whale lice are highly specialized, and many types associate with only one or two species of whale. These crustaceans attach to whale skin at natural openings, such as wounds or scars.