Ectosymbiosis
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Ectosymbiosis is a form of symbiotic behavior in which an organism lives on the body surface of another organism, including internal surfaces such as the lining of the digestive tube and the ducts of
European mistletoe is an example of an ectosymbiotic parasite that lives on top of trees and removes nutrients and water.
Sea urchins, with their many spines, provide protection for the ectosymbiotic parasites that live on them.
Remora fish form ectosymbiotic commensal interactions with lemon sharks in order to scavenge food and travel long distances.
Branchiobdellid annelids are mutualistic parasites. They will attach to a signal crayfish and feed on diatoms, bacteria, and protozoans that accumulate on the exoskeleton.
Red Queen hypothesis
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The Red Queen hypothesis is a hypothesis in evolutionary biology proposed in 1973, that species must constantly adapt, evolve, and proliferate in order to survive while pitted against ever-evolving op
Ectosymbiosis
…of the parasite on the host and the associated benefits and cost to both the parasite and host, the two will continue to coevolve as explained by the Red Queen hypothesis. The Red Queen hypothesis states that a host will continually evolve defenses against a parasitic attack, and the parasite species will also adapt to…
"Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place." — Lewis Carroll
Darwin's finches by Gould