Amazon River Freshwater Food Web
Freshwater
Amazon Basin — Brazil, Peru, Colombia
Description
The Amazon River system contains more freshwater fish species than any other basin, with over 3,000 described species. Seasonal flooding of the varzea forest creates a unique food web where fish eat fruit and seeds from submerged trees. The arapaima, one of the world's largest freshwater fish, breathes air and hunts in oxygen-poor floodwaters.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Detritivorous catfish
Aquatic fungi
Bacteria
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Arapaima
Black caiman
Amazon river dolphin
3 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Piranha
Tucunare
Giant otter
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Tambaqui
Pacu
Manatee
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Varzea forest trees
Floating aquatic plants
Periphyton
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Tambaqui eat fallen fruits and seeds, serving as critical seed dispersers for floodplain trees
- Arapaima are air-breathing apex fish that surface every 10-20 minutes
- Black caimans are nocturnal ambush predators reaching 5 meters in length
- Amazon river dolphins use echolocation to hunt fish in turbid waters