Bottom Feeder - Biological Trends

Biological Trends

Bottom feeders are not necessarily detritivores, although there are many that are. Some bottom feeders graze along the bottom, feeding on plant material. Other bottom feeders may feed on other bottom feeders, and thus are carnivores.

Many bottom feeders are also capable of burying themselves. A variety of invertebrates are able to bury themselves, such as bristleworms, sea cucumbers, and snails. Many vertebrate bottom feeders may bury themselves, such as flatfish or stingray.

In many bottom feeders, a mechanism to deal with substrate is often necessary. In the case of some organisms such as sea cucumbers, the sand is usually passed through the body. In fish, sand will be pumped out of the mouth through the gill slit.

In fish, most bottom feeders exhibit a flat ventral region so as to more easily rest their body on the substrate. The exception may be the flatfish, which are laterally depressed but lie on their sides. Also, many exhibit what is termed an "inferior" mouth, which means that the mouth is pointed downwards; this is beneficial as their food is often going to be below them in the substrate. Those bottom feeders with upward-pointing mouths, such as stargazers, tend to seize swimming prey. Some flatfish such as halibut actually have a "migrating" eye that moves to the upward-facing side of the fish as it ages.