Characteristic feeding methods

Feeding type Definition
Non-feeding Non-feeding (e.g., a short-lived adult that is only involved in mating or lecithotrophic life stages).
Autotroph Self-feeding. An organism capable of synthesizing complex organic substances from simple inorganic substrates (Lincoln et al., 1998).
Deposit feeder Any organism which feeds on fragmented particulate organic matter from the substratum (Lincoln et al., 1998)
Surface deposit feeder An organism that feeds on fragmented particulate organic matter on the surface of the substratum (e.g. Corophium volutator) (adapted from Lincoln et al., 1998).
Sub-surface deposit feeder An organism that feeds on fragmented particulate organic matter within the substratum (e.g. Echinocardium cordatum) (adapted from Lincoln et al., 1998).
Suspension feeder Any organism which feeds on particulate organic matter, including plankton, suspended in the water column (Lincoln et al., 1998).
Passive suspension feeder Catching food on a filter held into flowing water (e.g. hydroids, sea fans, sea pens), or collecting the 'rain' of detritus on sticky apparatus other than a filter (e.g. tentacles of Cucumaria frondosa, the proboscis of echinurans) (Hiscock et al., 1999). 
Active suspension feeder Catching food on a filter from water by actively sweeping (e.g. Porcellana platychelyes) or pumping (e.g. sea squirts, many bivalve molluscs) or creating a localised current (e.g. copepods, bryozoa etc) (Hiscock et al., 1999).
Grazer Feeding on herbage, algae or phytoplankton by consuming the whole plant or the surface growth (Lincoln et al., 1998).
Grazer (fonds/blades) Animals which rasp benthic algae (or sessile animals, such as bryozoan crusts) from the surface of macroalgal fronds and blades (Hiscock et al., 1999).
Grazer (grains/particles) Animals which rasp benthic algae (or sessile animals, such as bryozoan crusts) from inorganic particles e.g. sand grains (Hiscock et al., 1999).
Grazer (surface/substratum) Animals which rasp benthic algae (or sessile animals, such as bryozoan crusts) from the substratum (Hiscock et al., 1999).
Browser Feeding on parts of plants (e.g. shoots, leaves, twigs) or parts of other organsims (e.g. siphon nipping by fish) (Lincoln et al., 1998).
Parasitic An organism that is intimately associated with, and metabolically dependant on another living organism, for completion of its life cycle, and which is detrimental to the host to a lesser or greater extent.
Ectoparasitic Parasitic on the outer surface of its host (adapted from Lincoln et al., 1998).
Endoparasitic Parasitic witihn the tissues or organs of its host.
Kleptoparasitic In which the female of one species steals the food researves or prey of a female of another species, to feed her own progeny (Lincoln et al. 1998). 
Scavenger An organism that feeds on carrion and organic refuse (e.g. crabs, whelks) (Lincoln et al., 1998). 
Predator Predatory behaviour in which one animal species captures a member of another species (Lincoln et al. 1998) OR mobile animals that attack, kill, and consume individual prey items, usually one at a time.

References

  1. Barnes, R.S.K., Calow, P. & Olive, P.J.W., 1993. The invertebrates: a new synthesis. Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd.
  2. Hiscock, K, Jackson, A. & Lear, D., 1999. Assessing seabed species and ecosystem sensitivities: existing approaches and development, October 1999 edition.Report to the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions from the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN). Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Plymouth. [View MarLIN Report No. 1.]
  3. Lincoln, R., Boxshall, G. & Clark, P., 1998. A dictionary of ecology, evolution and systematics (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University of Press.