The following questions refer to the paragraph below.
An elementary school science teacher decided to liven up the classroom with a salt-water aquarium. Knowing that salt-water aquaria can be quite a hassle, the teacher proceeded stepwise. First, the teacher conditioned the water. Next, the teacher decided to stock the tank with various marine invertebrates, including a polychaete, a siliceous sponge, several bivalves, a shrimp, several sea anemones of different types, a colonial hydra, a few coral species, an ectoproct, a sea star, and several gastropod varieties. Lastly, some vertebrates-a parrotfish and a clownfish-were added. She arranged for daily feedings of copepods and feeder fish.
-The teacher was unaware of the difference between suspension feeding and predation. The teacher thought that by providing live copepods (2 mm long)and feeder fish (2 cm long)the dietary needs of all of the organisms would be satisfied. Consequently, which two organisms would have been among the first to starve to death (assuming they lack photosynthetic endosymbionts)?
1) sponges
2) coral animals
3) bivalves
4) sea stars
5) shrimp
A)1 and 2
B)1 and 3
C)2 and 5
D)3 and 4
E)4 and 5

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sponges and bivalves would be among the first to starve to death because they are suspension feeders, which means they feed on small particles in the water column, such as phytoplankton and other organic matter. Live copepods and feeder fish are not likely to provide enough of this type of food for these organisms to survive. The other organisms listed are either predators or have other means of obtaining food, such as the sea anemones and coral animals, which have photosynthetic endosymbionts.

The Following Questions Refer to the Paragraph Below