Top predator sea stars are the benthic equivalent to polar bears of the pelagic realm.
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 36574678.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.2216701120 and PMC identifier 9910421.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The marine pelagic compartment spans numerous trophic levels and consists of numerous reticulate connections between species from primary producers to iconic apex predators, while the benthic compartment is perceived to be simpler in structure and comprised of only low trophic level species. Here, we challenge this paradigm by illustrating that the benthic compartment is home to a subweb of similar structure and complexity to that of the pelagic realm, including the benthic equivalent to iconic polar bears: megafaunal-predatory sea stars.
Medical subject headings
- Ursidae