relationship between organisms body size and trophic level

• Body size increases


  The higher up the trophic levels you go
• Larger organisms


  • Usually the predators
  • Carnivorous fish and marine mammals occupy the higher trophic levels
• As energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, there is a loss of about 90% of energy up every trophic level
• Organisms higher up need to consume a larger biomass of prey to meet their energy requirements
• Larger organisms


  • Usually prey on a wider range of smaller organisms
• Many marine organisms change in size dramatically throughout their life, which can affect where they are in the food web
• Larval stages of fish

  1. Often planktonic and feed on microscopic prey

  2. Adult stages are much larger and may occupy a higher trophic level