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)

Question

Responses

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

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

Answer 1

The statement that best explains the observation that the fish are smaller than they had been the previous year is:

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

This is because a reduction in available food can lead to smaller fish size due to inadequate nutrition during their growth period.