Consumers (Putative)

Consumers are organisms that are incapable of producing their own food and have to derive nutrients from other organic matters.

The following is a list of representative species from each group of consumer that can be found in Hong Kong.

Meiofauna

Meiofauna is a collection of small benthic invertebrates (between 63 and 500 microns in size) that live in marine sediment.

Nematodes (slender worms) and copepods (small crustaceans) are two main groups of meiofauna that are found in our samples.

An assortment of meiofauna with detritus particles

Photo taken under a stereomicroscope

by Michael Ma

Macrofauna

Macrofauna are organisms larger than 500 microns. They can be classified into the following groups:

OMNIVORES / SCAVENGERS

Deposit Feeders

Boleophthalmus pectinirostris

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Joe Lee

Classification: fish

Common name: great blue-spotted mudskipper

Macrophthalmus tomentosus

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Zhaoliang Chen

Classification: crab

Metaplax longipes

Photo taken at Ting Kok

by Michael Ma

Classification: crab

Tubuca arcuata

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Joe Lee

Classification: crab

Common name: bowed fiddler crab

Deposit Feeders

Leaf-Eaters

Parasesarma affine

Photo taken at Shui Hau

by Joe Lee

Classification: crab

Parasesarma ungulatum

Photo taken at Lai Chi Wo

by Joe Lee

Classification: crab

Parasesarma bidens

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Zhaoliang Chen

Classification: crab

Leaf-Eaters

Grazers

Littoraria%20ardouininana%20on%20Kandeli

Littoraria ardouiniana

Photo taken at the West coast of Guangdong province, China

by Joe Lee

Classification: gastropod

Neripteron violaceum

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Yan Ping Loo

Classification: gastropod

Onchidium hongkongensis

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Michael Ma

Classification: gastropod

Cerithidea moerchii

Photo taken at Lai Chi Wo

by Joe Lee

Classification: gastropod

Monodonta labio

Photo taken at Ting Kok

by Michael Ma

Classification: gastropod

Ellobium chinensis

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Yan Ping Loo

Classification: gastropod

Planiliza subviridis

From Shui Hau

Classification: fish

Common name: greenback mullet

Filter Feeders

Anomalodiscus squamosa

Photo taken at Ting Kok

by Michael Ma

Classification: bivalves

Common name: false cockle

Geloina erosa

Photo taken at Shui Hau

by Joe Lee

Classification: bivalves

Common name: mangrove clam

Marcia hiantina

Photo taken at Ting Kok

by Michael Ma

Classification: bivalves

Saccostrea cucullata

Photo taken at Ting Kok

by Michael Ma

Classification: bivalves

Common name: hooded oyster, Natal rock oyster

Filter Feeders

Predators

Periophthalmus modestus

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Joe Lee

Classification: fish

Common name: shuttles hoppfish, shuttles mudskipper

Tachypleus tridentatus

Photo taken at Shui Hau

by Joe Lee

Classification: horseshoe crab

Common name: Chinese horseshoe crab, Japanese horseshoe crab, tri-spine horseshoe crab

Terapon jarbua

From Shui Hau

Classification: fish

Common name: crescent perch, crescent grunter

Metopograpsus frontalis

Photo taken at Ting Kok

by Michael Ma

Classification: crab

Thalamita crenata

Photo taken at Ting Kok

by Michael Ma

Classification: crab

Common name: mangrove swimming crab

Laomedia astacina

Photo taken at Ting Kok

by Michael Ma

Classification: shrimp

Panaeus merguiensis

From Mai Po

Classification: shrimp

Common name: banana shrimp

Palaemon carinicauda

From Mai Po

Classification: shrimp

Common name: ridgetail white prawn

Platalea minor

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Joe Lee

Classification: bird

Common name: black-faced spoonbill

Ardea cinerea

Photo taken by Joe Lee

Classification: bird

Common name: grey heron

Tringa ochropus

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Joe Lee

Classification: bird

Common name: green sandpiper

Recurvirostra avosetta

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Joe Lee

Classification: bird

Common name: pied avocet

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Joe Lee

Classification: bird

Common name: black-headed gull

Predators

Decomposers

Auricularia fuscosuccinea

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Yan Ping Loo

Classification: fungus

Inocybe spp.

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Joe Lee

Classification: fungus

Polyporales (order name)

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Zhaoliang Chen

Classification: fungus

Decomposers

Omnivores / Scavengers

Omnivores are organisms that have a mixed diet of both plant and animal origins, and are able to survive on either one of them. The following organisms are also opportunistic scavengers.

Scylla paramamosain

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Yan Ping Loo

Classification: crab

Common name: mud crab

Oreochromis aureus

Photo taken at Mai Po

by Joe Lee

Classification: fish

Common name: tilapia

**Invasive species

Tilapias were first introduced into Hong Kong for aquaculture. However, those individuals that escape from fish farms become an invasive species and pose a threat to the surrounding habitat, due to their high growth rate, omnivorous diet, and lack of natural predators.