Question

A family raises a species of fish in a pond. At the end of each summer, the family sells the fully grown fish. One year, the family notices that the fish are smaller than they had been the previous year. Which statement best explains this observation?(1 point)
Responses

There were fewer fish this year than there were last year.
There were fewer fish this year than there were last year.

The type of fish in the pond this year tended to be smaller than the type of fish last year.
The type of fish in the pond this year tended to be smaller than the type of fish last year.

There was less food available in the pond this year than last year.
There was less food available in the pond this year than last year.

There was more space in the pond this year than last year.

Answer 1

The best explanation for the observation that the fish are smaller than they were the previous year is:

**There was less food available in the pond this year than last year.**

This statement directly relates to the size of the fish, as a decrease in available food would lead to poorer growth and development of the fish compared to the previous year.