Gangetic Plain Freshwater Food Web
Freshwater
Northern India and Bangladesh — Ganges River basin
Description
The Ganges River system drains the most densely populated watershed on Earth, supporting the endangered Ganges river dolphin and gharial crocodilian. Heavy pollution, dam construction, and water extraction have severely degraded this food web. Despite degradation, the river supports significant fisheries feeding hundreds of millions of people across northern India and Bangladesh.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Freshwater bacteria
Benthic invertebrates
Detritivorous catfish
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Ganges river dolphin
Gharial
Mugger crocodile
3 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Wallago catfish
Indian softshell turtle
Cormorant
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Rohu carp
Catla carp
Freshwater prawns
3 species
Level 1
Producers
River phytoplankton
Aquatic macrophytes
Attached algae
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Ganges river dolphins use echolocation to hunt fish in turbid river water
- Gharials have specialized narrow snouts for catching fish with lateral head sweeps
- Dam construction blocks fish migration routes and alters flow regimes
- Pollution from industrial and sewage discharge degrades water quality for aquatic life