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An herbivorous organism is one that feeds on primary producers, that is, plants, or algae and phytoplankton in the case of aquatic organisms. Meanwhile, the primary producers are the organisms that produce organic matter from carbon dioxide, using the energy of sunlight through photosynthesis. The etymology of the word herbivore comes from Latin, from the combination of herba , plant, and vorare , to eat. Carnivores are the organisms that feed on both herbivores and other carnivores while omnivorous organisms feed on both primary producers and carnivorous or herbivorous animals.
The largest biomass of primary producers in marine ecosystems is made up of phytoplankton, which are microscopic algae that develop suspended in the water. Therefore, a large number of marine herbivores feed on these organisms, so they tend to be smaller than terrestrial herbivores that have much bulkier power sources.
But there are two exceptions to this general rule: manatees, the photo of which is shown in the presentation of the article, and dugongs. Both mammals that feed on vascular plants.
The manatee or sea cow lives in both marine and freshwater ecosystems, in Central America and West Africa. It can reach a length of 6 meters and its weight ranges between 300 and 500 kilograms. The dugong lives in the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and the Asian Pacific Ocean; It can measure up to 3 meters and its weight can reach 200 kilograms.
Advantages and disadvantages of being an herbivore
The marine primary producers, algae and phytoplankton, are relatively abundant in well-lit ocean waters; specifically in shallow water, on the surface of the open ocean, and along the coast. So one advantage of being a herbivore is that food is plentiful, easy to find, and easy to eat; furthermore, once found, it cannot escape like an animal would.
One of the downsides of being herbivorous is that plants are often harder to digest than animal tissue. It is also possible that more plants are needed to provide the necessary energy for the herbivorous organism.
marine herbivores
Many marine animals are omnivorous or carnivorous, but there are several species of marine herbivores. Among the herbivorous marine reptiles we can mention the green turtle and marine iguanas. As already stated, the manatee and the dugong are two species of large aquatic mammals that are herbivores. There is a greater variety of herbivorous fish. The parrotfish is one example: a herbivorous organism of coral reefs that is very important for maintaining balance in these ecosystems. Algae can grow to suffocate a reef if herbivorous fish are not present to control its growth.
Within invertebrates there are several species that are herbivorous, such as limpets, winkles and queen snails. The plankton community is also structured around phytoplankton, which is the food source for zooplankton. In turn, many of these organisms are herbivores.
Herbivorous organisms and food webs
Food webs are the way ecosystems are structured according to how organisms feed. The trophic levels are the positions in which they are located according to their diet, to what type of organisms constitutes their food. Two large groups of food webs are made up of primary producers, autotrophic organisms, and consumers, heterotrophs. Autotrophs produce the organic matter that heterotrophs feed on. The base of the trophic web is then composed of autotrophic organisms, and on this basis the different levels of heterotrophs are intertwined.
Herbivorous organisms are usually located above the primary producers, in a first level based on the trophic web. Carnivorous organisms are positioned on them, while omnivores have connections at different levels.
Sources
- Gut fermentation in herbivorous animals . Map of Life. Accessed October 2021.
- Herbivory in Fish . Department of Microbiology, Cornell University. Accessed October 2021.
- Information About Manatees . Accessed October 2021.
- Morrissey, JF, JL Sumich. Introduction to the Biology of Marine Life. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2012.
- van Roosmalen, Marc GMHotspot of new megafauna found in the Central Amazon (Brazil): the lower Rio Aripuanã Basin . Biodiversity Journal 6 (1): 219-244, 2015.
