In the freshwater biome, the catfish has a unique role in many cycles and systems. The catfish is
a predator for many organisms, but is also hunted by other animals. A catfish eats phytoplankton,
zooplankton, frogs, insects, and chironomids, creatures similar to mosquitos. Catfish are hunted by
humans, herons, ospreys, eagles, and some types of sunfish. When a catfish is decomposed, bacteria
breaks it down into a simpler form of matter. The producers, phytoplankton, are eaten by the catfish,
the consumer, who also eats other consumers, chironomids, frogs, and insects, and the catfish, after
death, is decomposed by the bacteria present in the biome. Bacteria in the biome also decomposes all
of the other organisms, whether they
are consumers or producers. In the
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The presence of catfish lower the presence and amount of prey
the catfish has. When catfish are removed from the biome, the prey population increases due to the
lack of predatory creatures. The predators to the catfish also have their population lowered because of
the lack of food. Catfish that have a territory that they are protecting, limit the amount of territories are
available to other catfish. Catfish have many adaptations that enable them to survive. One adaptation
that catfish have are their three barbels that give them protection. When the barbels come in contact
with another organism, they sting the creature. The catfish has a great sense of smell, sight, and taste
that help them navigate through murky waters. The good sight allows them to see clearly, the good
sense of smell allows them to smell other organisms in the water, and the catfish has taste buds all over
its entire body, allowing it to sense what is around it. The catfish is a unique organism because of its
interdependence in the biome, roles in systems and cycles, interactions in the population, interactions
with other populations, and how it adapts to biotic and abiotic