Aquatic Food Webs By Katie Adas

Food Webs Food webs show what living organisms are eaten by other living organisms. Food webs are often thought of as a cycle. In a food web, there are primary producers, different levels of consumers, and decomposers.

Aquatic Food Web The aquatic food web we will be learning about is a ponds food web. The primary producer in a pond food web is green plants. These green plants can be phytoplankton, flowering plants, or any rooted plants.

Aquatic Food Web Plants become food for many plant-eating animals. These animals are known as herbivores. Since these animals also are the first ones to eat the producers, they are known as the primary consumers. Some examples of herbivores are mayfly nymphs, small crustaceans, zooplankton, and some kinds of beetles.

Aquatic Food Web The herbivorous animals are then eaten by small flesh-eating animals. These animals are known as carnivores. Since these animals are eating the primary consumers, they are known as the secondary consumers. Some examples of secondary consumers are minnows, crayfish, and dragonfly nymphs.

Aquatic Food Web The secondary consumers are then eaten by bigger animals. These animals are known as tertiary consumers, since they are the third consumers on the food web. Some examples of tertiary consumers are larger fish such as bass, crappies, and perch.

Aquatic Food Web Larger fish are then eaten by such animals as raccoons, weasels, hawks, and humans.

Aquatic Food Web phytoplankton zooplankton Small crustaceans Minnows bass perch human hawk human hawk

Aquatic Food Web You might have noticed that the bigger animals will eat the smaller animals. You can now try to see if you can stay a live in your own pond as a fish. Eat only the fish that are smaller than you and don’t get eaten by the bigger fish! You can access your pond food web adventure here: