Question

this food web is from an ocean ecosystem in the ross sea, off the coast of antarctica. which of the following organisms eat a tertiary consumer in this food web? select all that apply.

Explanation:

Step1: Identify tertiary consumers

Tertiary consumers are organisms that eat secondary consumers. In this food - web, we need to first identify secondary consumers and then see which organisms eat them.

Step2: Analyze food - web connections

By looking at the arrows in the food - web, we can see the feeding relationships. For example, crabeater seal is a tertiary consumer (it eats krill which are primary consumers). But no organism in the given options eats the crabeater seal. Emperor penguin is also a tertiary consumer (it eats fish that are secondary consumers). None of the given options eat the emperor penguin. However, silverfish is a secondary consumer and icefish eats silverfish. Icefish can be considered a tertiary consumer in some food - chains in this web. And there are no organisms in the given options that eat icefish.

Answer:

None of the given options (silverfish, salps, icefish) eat a tertiary consumer.