An
epibiont is an
organism that lives on the surface of another living organism. An epibiont is usually considered harmless to the host; in this sense, the relationship between the two organisms can be considered neutralistic or
commensalistic. Typical epibionts are
barnacles,
remoras and
algae, all of which live on many larger marine organisms, such as
whales,
sharks,
sea turtles and
mangroves. The host of the epibiont is typically referred to as the
basibiont.