Story: Life in fresh water
This food web shows the role played by invertebrates (animals without backbones), such as mayflies and stoneflies, in freshwater ecosystems. The arrows indicate what eats what. Invertebrates feed on living and dead plant matter, and on each other. Invertebrates are an important link in the food web as they convert the energy in plant and other organic matter into protein (their own bodies). This allows larger predators such as fish to live in fresh water as they feed on the invertebrates.
About this item
Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Artwork by Bruce Mahalski
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