11.2.3. Food web - Rocky shore


11.2.3. Food web - Rocky shore
There are so many connections between food chains that we can think of every organism (plant or animal) as part of a complicated FOOD WEB rather than as a link in a straight chain.
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Adaptation of rocky shore organisms
• Bivalve molluscs and barnacles – over come desiccation by closing their shells tightly snails retreat into their shells and sealing the shell aperture.
• Marine algae have strong attachment to rocks by special hold fast.
• Barnacles, oysters, tunicate cementing on to the substratum
• Mussels attached by byssal threads
• Limpets, chitons have suction like attachment
• Sea urchins and clams – boring into the hard surfaces
• Crabs, isopods live in rock crevices
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Productivity of intertidal rocky area is about 100g C/m2/Y average annual productivity. It may go upto 1000g C/m2 /yr in some favourable area.
• Limpets, chitin, Sea urchin, littorie - grazers –herbivores
• Mussels, barnacles clams tunicates politic – filter feeders
• Starfish, snails, birds, - predators
• Scavengers – isopods, crabs etc.

Last modified: Friday, 13 April 2012, 5:37 AM