commensalism

/kəˌmɛnsəˈlɪzəm/

If you've ever seen a bunch of barnacles attached to a great big whale, you've seen an example of commensalism, or one organism getting benefits from another without hurting it.

First used in a biological sense in 1870, commensalism originates from the Middle Latin word commensalis, derived from com ("together") and mensa ("table"). It's a relationship between two organisms in which one receives benefits without causing harm. Commensalism should not be confused with mutualism, a relationship in which both organisms benefit from each other.

Definitions of commensalism

1. noun

   the relation between two different kinds of organisms when one receives benefits from the other without damaging it
   type of:

   interdependence, interdependency, mutuality

   a reciprocal relation between interdependent entities (objects or individuals or groups)