What Other Fish In Australia Eat Plankton?
Plankton is a collection of organisms that are living in large bodies of water but can’t swim against the current. Individual organisms that consist of plankton are called plankters and due to its small or microscopic sizes, it makes them the prey of some aquatic organisms like fish, whales, and bivalves. Planktonic organisms include bacteria, archaea, algae, and protozoa.
What other fish in Australia eat plankton? A salmon can be found in many parts of the world, like the Australian Salmon of Australia. This salmon is believed to eat plankton as what other salmons do. Tuna, specifically yellowfin that is found in Australia, also eats tiny zooplankton.
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As you continue to read, you will also learn that plankton is divided into different groups; phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacterioplankton, mycoplankton, and mixotrophs.
Australian Salmon And Yellow Fin Tuna
Australian Salmon usually can be found in the waters of South Eastern and South Western coasts of Australia and the coastline of New Zealand. This Aussie Salmon is also known as kahawai in New Zealand, is said to be part of the genus Arripis. Aussie salmon are said to eat for over four times their body weight. This salmon prey includes the pilchards, scads, and other zooplanktivores, which said that’s 93% of their stomach contents.
In turn, this salmon was preyed upon by several apex predators, including seals, dolphins, and sharks.
On the other hand, yellow-fin tuna can be found in oceanic waters of tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. Tuna is known as “ahi” from Hawaii that is related to big-eye tuna. Yellow-fin tuna is one of the larger tuna species that can weight over 1.80 kg or 400lb. Though it may seem big to others, blue-fin tuna is still bigger as it weighs over 450kg or 990lb.
They ate a wide variety of prey throughout their lives, and at a young age, they eat tiny zooplankton. And as they age, yellow-fin eats large bony fishes and squids. Adult yellow-fin prey to bill-fishes, toothed whales, and some ocean shark species.
Different Functional Groups
Phytoplankton – are the autotrophic or the self-feeding community of the planktons. Its role in the ecosystem is vital as it provides light to support photosynthesis. The name comes from the Greek word phyton, meaning plant and planktos meaning wanderer or drifter.
Zooplankton – this is heterotrophic organisms that drift in the oceans, seas, and some bodies of fresh water. Its small protozoans and metazoans that fee on another plankton. Its eggs are larvae or larger nektonic animals such as fish, crustaceans, and annelids.
Bacterioplankton – is a bacterial component of the plankton that drifts in the water column. It plays an important role in re-mineralizing organic material. And this type of plankton can be found in seawater and freshwater.
Mycoplankton – is like bacterioplankton that is also vital to heterotrophic mineralization and in nutrient cycling. It can be up to 20 mm in diameter and over 50 mm in length.
Mixotrophs – in this group, it is categorized as a producer, consumer, and a recycler. It can also use a mix of different sources of energy and carbon, and they can take advantage of different environmental conditions.
Conclusion
Overall, plankton plays a vital role in the ocean’s carbon cycle. It is a large part of why the oceans are the largest carbon sink in the world. That this is the largest and most crucial reef system in the world, and many species rely on them. They may look so small and empty, but when you do closer look, its what fishes help them to live and grow.
