Bengal Mangrove Estuary Food Web
Mangrove
Mangroves
Bangladesh — Ganges-Meghna-Brahmaputra Delta
Description
Beyond the Sundarbans, Bangladesh's extensive mangrove-estuary systems support the Hilsa shad fishery, one of the most important single-species fisheries in South Asia. Mangrove-derived detritus fuels estuarine productivity that sustains shrimp and fish populations feeding millions of people. Irrawaddy dolphins navigate these turbid channels using echolocation.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Estuarine bacteria
Sesarmid crabs
Mud-dwelling nematodes
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Irrawaddy dolphin
Saltwater crocodile
2 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Barramundi
Giant mudskipper
White-bellied sea eagle
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Hilsa shad
Penaeid shrimp
Mullet
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Avicennia mangroves
Estuarine phytoplankton
Detrital mangrove leaves
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Hilsa shad migrate between freshwater and marine environments to spawn
- Mangrove leaf decomposition provides the detrital base for the entire estuarine food web
- Irrawaddy dolphins use cooperative herding to drive fish into shallow water
- Sesarmid crabs process mangrove leaf litter, accelerating nutrient cycling