Aquatic Food Web Lower Level_02

What do you think eats zooplankton?

Typically, it is small fish and mollusks that feed on zooplankton. Some of the animals that feed on zooplankton are called filter feeders. Filter feeders such as mollusks strain their food directly from the water. Mollusks, as you may know, are clams, oysters, mussels and scallops.

Animals like shrimp and crabs are crustaceans that sometimes eat mollusks. You may have even had a crustacean for dinner.

Next in the food chain are the larger fish eating the smaller fish. Finally, these large fish are food for even higher-level predators. These consumers are called top predators. Top predators can be birds, reptiles, mammals, or even larger fish. This means that they may eat anywhere within the food chain. They may sometimes even eat each other. The waste from all this eating returns to the water to become food for the plants.

In summary, it starts with phytoplankton that get their energy from the Sun. These plants provide energy for zooplankton. Zooplankton feed small fish and mollusks. These small animals then become food for crustaceans or larger fish. These fish then become food for even larger fish. Finally, it is these fish that we catch and eat.

The whole system may seem difficult, but it needs to be. The difficulty of food webs helps to ensure survival in nature. If one living thing in a chain becomes hard to find, another may be able to take its place.