The waste released by krill enriches the water for microorganisms and is an important component of the Earth's carbon cycle. Krill convert energy from the primary producer level into a form that is useable by animals in the upper levels of the marine food web. Diet. What do Zooplankton Eat? It is a type of zooplankton and feed mainly on phytoplankton near the water surface. Grey whales eat amphipods and marine worms. In the Antarctic food chain krill are primary consumers and baleen whales, penguins, seals and many kinds of fish and other birds are secondary consumers when feeding on krill. Feeding on phytoplankton and small zooplankton, krill populations expand and become a critical link in many marine systems. Right whales, for example, eat zooplankton. Zooplankton is a categorization spanning a range of organism sizes including small protozoans and large metazoans. Most zooplankton eat phytoplankton, and most are, in turn, eaten by larger animals (or by each other). During the daylight hours, zooplankton generally drift in deeper waters to avoid predators. How do zooplankton survive? In terms of diet krill are known to eat phytoplankton (microscopic single-celled plants), copepods, zooplankton, algae and fish larvae. Large animals can eat plankton directly, too—blue whales can eat up to 4.5 tons of krill, a large zooplankton, every day. There are over 80 species of krill found so far. It is only baleen whales that eat krill, plankton and other marine organisms. Zooplankton and other small marine creatures eat phytoplankton and then become food for fish, crustaceans, and other larger species. No not all whales eat krill. Some species of animals spend day in deep water and migrate toward the surface at night. Krill are identified by the clearly visible gills found below the carapace on thoracic segment seven and eight. Scientists believe phytoplankton numbers have decreased about 40% since 1950. Krill may be the most well-known type of zooplankton; they are a major component of the diet of humpback, right, and blue whales. Many species of krill also eat smaller amounts of zooplankton, which are tiny organisms found in seawater. They use comb-like appendages called thoracopods to capture plankton, including diatoms, algae, zooplankton, and fish fry. Rorqual whales eat krill and small fish. Zooplankton Examples Krill The diets variety from species. ... From massive marine mammals like whales to the tiny krill that form the bottom of the food chain, all life in the ocean is interconnected. It is for this reason that marine biologists believe krill to be omnivorous (an animal that eats both plants and animals), but there is at least one species that is carnivorous (they prey on fish larvae and zooplankton). Since such organisms reside at the surface of bodies of water, zooplankton are also typically found in the upper waters. Diet of zooplankton is based on the algae and bacteria (phytoplankton) and tiny animals. The average lifespan of krill varies from 2 – 6 years although some (which survive being hunted) can live up to 10 years. Unfortunately, plankton abundance has been decreasing. Large animals can eat plankton directly, too—blue whales can eat up to 4.5 tons of krill, a large zooplankton, every day. What are Krill? Krill is a small crustacean that thrives in nutrient-rich waters worldwide. Zooplankton consume a variety of bacterioplankton, phytoplankton, and even other zooplankton species. Without plankton, entire food webs around the world would likely collapse. Do All Whales Eat Krill? Some krill eat other krill. Many animals are a mixture of primary, secondary, tertiary (3rd) and quaternary (4th) consumers as they eat a variety of prey. Krill would be classed as zooplankton. Most species are omnivorous, although a few are carnivorous.
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