The fish that live on and around
coral reefs are the most visible
part of the food web.
Herbivorous fish graze on algae
near the lower level of the food
web, and predacious fish such
as reef sharks and barracuda
feed on other fish in the upper
levels of the web. | Food Web Gallery A food web describes the
predator/prey relationships
between plants and animals.
These images show a selection
of the animals in the food web
in the South Caicos Island
marine environment.
Digital images courtesy of Drew Van
Voorhees, SFS Senior Intern
| 
The Caribbean Reef Squid
(Sepioteuthis seioidea) is a
predatory mollusk that grasps
its prey with its two tentacles,
holds it with its eight arms, and
consumes its prey with its
strong, beak-shaped jaws.
This squid is also prey to other
marine predators, and it ejects
ink (seen in this picture) in an
effort to avoid being eaten.
|
This cushion sea star (Oreaster
reticulatus) is also a predator
on the reef, consuming bivalve
(two-shelled) organisms. The
sea star seizes its prey with its
arms and pries open the
bivalve. The sea star sends its
stomach out of the center point
of its body (left side of picture)
and digests its prey.
| 
One of the more peculiar
looking animals from the waters
around South Caicos is the
Donkey Dung sea cucumber
(Holothuria mexicana). This
squishy animal is part of the
same phylum as sea stars
(Echinodermata), and they are
found in sea grass beds and
sandy areas around coral reefs.
They eat detritus, thus placing
them on the lower levels of the
Caribbean food web.
| 
We cannot forget that humans
are a part of the South Caicos
food web as well. In this
picture, Tim H., Matt, Tim S.,
Drew, James and Jamie are
modeling their Easter dinner:
spiny lobsters. What part of
the food web do humans
occupy?
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