Question

Americans eat a wide range of fish species.  Some, like anchovies and herring, are relatively small and eat phyto- and(or) zooplankton.  Others, like swordfish and tuna are large and are the apex predators in their food web, eating medium to large fish. In the context of an expanding human population placing ever increasing harvesting pressure on marine fisheries, which of these two groups of fish are most likely to be a sustainable food resource for human consumption.  Explain your answer based on what you’ve learned about energy flow in Chapter 18.

Answer 1

The anchovies and herring would be the most sustainable for humans because they would provide the most energy. The farther down the chain it goes the less energy is present in the bigger fish.

Anchovies Fishes -

Herring Fish -