The Shallow Tropical Ocean Community
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shallow tropical oceans of Populus are biomes that are full of life.
Plants and animals have developed complex relationships over millions of
years of evolution in these warm water environments. They have
formed a relationship among one another to insure their survival. As
one plant or animal evolves others act upon this change to insure their
own survival, thus a co-evolutionary process is always taking place.
Most life in the shallow tropical oceans exists within the first 30 feet
of the ocean floor, but some life forms are at home in these waters at
depths of up to 50 feet. Being near the equator, the temperature of
these oceans remain at a constant 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Primary Producers In the tropical oceans, the water plants are the primary producers. Using the light of Eris and their chloroplasts, they produce food through photosynthesis. Many animals depend on the primary producers as a source of food and energy.
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Spawn Durnam thrive in the shallow tropical waters of Populus between the depths of 5 to 15 feet. Its thin leafy green blades generally grow between 3 to 8 inches in length. It has strong small holdfasts that allow it to cling to rocks and small pebbles on the ocean bottom. The Spawn Durman have developed a way to absorb some of the nutrients of the fish eggs that are left between their blades. The Spawn Durnam are the prime diet for hundreds of species of fish. The Mantestickle particularly enjoys eating the Spawn Durnams nutritious green leaves. |
| Squinpalms can be found on many rock outcrops in the shallow tropical oceans of Populus. They tend to grow in large groups and may appear to look like small forests under the water. They have strong holdfasts that anchor them in place. Some Squinpalms grow in smaller groups within the large blanketed areas of Spawn Durnam. The Squinpalm grows on average to about three feet in height and can be found at depths of up to 50 feet. The Mantestickle water animal which lives in the same waters as the Squinpalms grow, enjoys eating its nutritious broad green leaves as a healthy part of its diet. |
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The Menthias water plants adapted themselves to live on submerged rocks in the shallow tropical oceans. They usually grow in small patches among large areas of Spawn Durnam and an occasional group of Squinpalms. The Mantestickle water animal eats the leaves of the Menthias plant in order to produce an enzyme inside the eggs that it lays. This enzyme acts as a deterrent to certain species of fish that try to eat the Mantestickles' eggs, because it is toxic to them. |
Primary Consumers
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Primary consumers get their food and energy by eating the primary producers.
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| Mantestickles live in the weedy shallows of the tropical oceans of Populus. The prickly Mantestickles have a row of spines without any connecting skin running down their backs. Since Mantestickles guard their nests against hungry predators, such as the Dranilla and Aminiacova, these sharp spines come in handy. They are small, mottled, greenish and have five dorsal spines. They generally grow to 3 inches in length. Being a primary consumer, the Mantestickle enjoys eating the leaves of the Spawn Durnam and Squinpalm water plants. It also eats the leaves of the Menthias water plant after it has laid its eggs. An enzyme in this plant enables the Mantestickle to produce a toxic barrier within its egg clusters, distracting certain fishes from eating them. |
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Secondary Consumers
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Secondary consumers get their food and energy by eating the primary consumers.
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The swift Dranilla is an effective carnivore that lives in the shallow tropical oceans of Populus. As a means of propulsion, it uses four "rills" that run down the length of its body. The rills oscillate very rapidly, and allow the Dranilla to quickly evade and catch its meals. A favorite meal of the Dranilla is the Mantestickle. The Dranilla has many sharp teeth to tear up its prey with. They greatly very in color and in patterns and grow to about 2 feet in length. |
| The Aminiacova has a round and stout body. Each nostril has a barbell like flap. It generally grows to about 2 1/2 feet in length. Many jagged teeth are present in its mouth which it uses to tear the flesh off its prey. The Aminiacova is active during the night hours, hunting its next meal. It has a gas bladder that functions as a supplement to the gills. If you are lucky, you might see it surface as it gulps air into its body. The Aminiacova uses this extra air so it can sit motionless and hide in the grassy water plants of the shallow tropical waters, and when the opportunity presents itself, effectively attack its prey. Many Mantestickle have become dinner to this interesting carnivore. |
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The Food Pyramid
This diagram shows the food chain.
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The Energy Pyramid
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This diagram shows how energy moves up the food chain in the shallow tropical oceans of Populus. The primary producers provide 300 kilocalories per square meter per year of food for the herbivores. The primary consumers provide 30 kilocalories per square meter per year of food for the secondary consumers (carnivores). Only 3 kilocalories per square meter per year is produced by the secondary consumer. |
