A primary school science teacher decided to liven up the classroom with a saltwater aquarium. Knowing that saltwater aquaria can be quite a hassle, the teacher proceeded stepwise. First, the teacher conditioned the water. Next, the teacher decided to stock the tank with various marine invertebrates, including a polychaete, a siliceous sponge, several bivalves, a shrimp, several sea anemones of different types, a colonial hydra, a few coral species, an ectoproct, a sea star, and several herbivorous gastropod varieties. Lastly, she added some vertebrates-a parrot fish and a clown fish. She arranged for daily feedings of copepods and feeder fish.
The bivalves started to die one-by-one; only the undamaged shells remained. To keep the remaining bivalves alive, the teacher would most likely need to remove the ________.
A) sea anemones
B) sea star
C) gastropods
D) ectoprocts

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sea stars are known predators of bivalves, and they can pry open the shells to consume the soft tissue inside. Removing the sea star would likely help in keeping the bivalves alive.

A Primary School Science Teacher Decided to Liven Up the Classroom