What are detritivores?

Detritivores are defined as organisms heterotrophs that feed ingesting detritus. Heterotrophs means that they feed by transforming organic matter from other living beings, unlike autotrophic organisms, and detritus are remains of decomposing organic matterincluding plant and animal parts and fecal matter (coprophagia).

Detritivores are animals and there is a wide variety, both vertebrates and invertebrates. Some of the most prominent examples:

  1. Oniscídeos (cochineals of humidity, marranitos)
  2. dung beetles
  3. Eschatophagids (dung flies)
  4. Lumbricidae (earthworms)
  5. Diplopods (millipedes)
  6. Shellless lungfish (land slugs)
  7. Asteroids (starfish)
  8. Holothuroidea (sea cucumbers)
  9. Uca (kites or fiddler crabs)
  10. sedentary polychaetes

There are other organisms that decompose organic matter, including plants, bacteria, fungi and protists, which are not classified as detritivores but as saprotrophs (or lysotrophs). Saprotrophs also feed on detritus but do so by extracellular and external digestion while detritivores ingest matter and digest it through internal processes.

Scavengers, or necrophagous animals, are not usually considered detritivores since they feed on dead organic matter, but generally in very early stages of decomposition. Although most biologists treat them the same, the term scavenger is usually reserved for large animals that ingest large amounts of organic matter.

ecological paper

Detritivores have a very important ecological role in all ecosystems since they contribute to the decomposition of organic matter and the biogeochemical cycle, that is, the movement of elements between the environment and living beings. East Recycling process is essential for sustain life on earth since the amount of matter on the planet is limited and the nutrients would be depleted.

Detritivores feed on virtually any decaying organic matter. Corpses, fallen leaves, dead plants, animal remains such as feces or shedding skins, and a long etcetera. They ingest it, digest it, absorb whatever nutrients they can take advantage of, and excrete the remains.

The excreted remains still contain nutrients that are returned to the soil and facilitate the growth of new plants or their consumption by other organisms such as bacteria and fungi. accelerating the decomposition process and encouraging the biogeochemical cycles of nutrients are completed faster.

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