Below is a food web from an ocean ecosystem in Monterey Bay, off the coast of California.

Which two of the following arrows show matter moving from a primary consumer to a secondary consumer?
the arrow between the zooplankton and the plainfin midshipman
the arrow between the zooplankton and the black rockfish
the arrow between the black rockfish and kelp bass
the arrow between the kelp and the sea urchin
the arrow between the phytoplankton and the plainfin midshipman

1 answer

In a food web, primary consumers are organisms that eat primary producers (like phytoplankton and kelp), while secondary consumers are organisms that eat primary consumers.

In the options given, the arrows that show matter moving from a primary consumer (zooplankton and sea urchin) to a secondary consumer (black rockfish and kelp bass) are:

  1. The arrow between the zooplankton and the black rockfish - This shows the zooplankton (a primary consumer) being eaten by the black rockfish (a secondary consumer).

  2. The arrow between the plainfin midshipman and the black rockfish - If plainfin midshipman are considered a primary consumer, and if they are eaten by the black rockfish, this would also denote matter transfer from a primary consumer to a secondary consumer.

Thus, the correct arrows are:

  • The arrow between the zooplankton and the black rockfish.
  • The arrow between the plainfin midshipman and the black rockfish (depending on the role of the midshipman in the food web).

If you are only looking for definite primary to secondary consumer transfers, then stick with the first option listed.