Information

Ecological parameter:  food according to Tachet

Parameter group: life & body related parameters

Explanation:
This trait describes the feeding preference of a species. Nine categories are defined. Invertebrate food may be composed of detrital organic (mainly vegetal) material, with a variable proportion of fine mineral elements and microorganisms. This material is separated according to particle size in three categories. Dead animal material is included in a specific category. Food may be also composed of living organisms. Living microphytes (sensu lato, e.g. diatoms, hyphomycetes) are distinguished from macrophytes (e.g. filamentous algae, bryophytes, Dycotyledones) and microinvertebrates (e.g. meiofaunal crustaceans) and finally from both macroinvertebrates and vertebrates (e.g. fish eggs or larvae).

Tachet, H., Bournaud, M., Richoux, P. & Usseglio-Polatera, P. (2010): Invertébrés d'eau douce - systématique, biologie, écologie. CNRS Editions, Paris, 600 p.


Additional information:
Note that several classifications of the Tachet database are on higher taxonomic level than on species level. To display them in the list please enable "include higher taxonomic units" in the "advanced search".

Abbreviations:
Category nameAbbreviationExplanation
microorganisms miororganic material with fine sediment and microorganisms
detritus (< 1 mm)detl1fine detritus
dead plants (>= 1 mm)dpg1dead plants > 1 mm
living microphytes limiliving microphytes, e.g. diatoms, hyphomycetes
living macrophyteslimaliving macrophytes, e.g. filamentous algae, bryophytes, Dycotyledones
dead animals (> 1 mm)dag1dead animals > 1mm
living microinvertebrateslmicliving microinvertebrates, e.g. meiofaunal crustaceans
living macroinvertebrateslmacliving macroinvertebrates
vertebratesvertvertebrates, e.g. fish eggs or larvae
Assigned taxa for each higher systematic unit
TaxagroupNumber of assigned taxa / total number of taxa - percentage
Porifera3 / 12 - 25%
Coelenterata2 / 13 - 15.3%
Turbellaria4 / 61 - 6.5%
Kamptozoa1 / 1 - 100%
Nemertini1 / 1 - 100%
Gastropoda15 / 241 - 6.2%
Bivalvia3 / 77 - 3.8%
Polychaeta1 / 13 - 7.6%
Oligochaeta16 / 240 - 6.6%
Hirudinea10 / 68 - 14.7%
Crustacea11 / 270 - 4%
Ephemeroptera16 / 353 - 4.5%
Odonata17 / 174 - 9.7%
Plecoptera9 / 576 - 1.5%
Heteroptera10 / 124 - 8%
Planipennia1 / 12 - 8.3%
Coleoptera52 / 2678 - 1.9%
Trichoptera38 / 1439 - 2.6%
Lepidoptera4 / 19 - 21%
Diptera (excl. Chironomidae)2 / 2404 - 0%
Bryozoa6 / 19 - 31.5%