Biology Forum › Zoology Discussion › Mode of nutrition of spider and starfish
- AuthorPosts
- June 13, 2012 at 3:45 pm #16596
WilliamY
ParticipantWhat is the mode of nutrition(holozoic, parasitic or saprophytic) of spider and starfish?
- June 14, 2012 at 3:47 am #111568
wbla3335
ParticipantI would say that the spider is saprophitic and the starfish is holozoic.
- June 15, 2012 at 1:12 am #111579
plasmodesmata11
Participantwhy would you say the spider is saprophytic?
- June 15, 2012 at 5:36 am #111581
wbla3335
ParticipantI guess it depends on what definitions one chooses. The term "saprophytic" is not used much anymore but generally refers to the ingestion of dead or decaying organic matter. By this definition, scavengers are saprophytes, which may be one of the reasons why the term is no longer commonly used. Spiders usually either secrete or inject digestive enzymes onto or into their prey and then suck up the digested organic matter. So saprophytic could apply to this mode of nutrition. Holozoic nutrition usually refers to the ingestion of solid organic matter, which spiders tend not to do. Some definitions of holozoic, though, include the ingestion of liquid organic matter, which would apply to spiders.
- June 15, 2012 at 5:53 am #111582
plasmodesmata11
ParticipantWell said. Saprophytic in this context could be rather misleading.
- August 11, 2012 at 6:14 pm #112074
hymenoptera7
ParticipantBiologists use the term "sea star" not starfish. It’s an Echinoderm people!
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