Saprophagy

Fungi are the primary decomposers in most environments, illustrated here Mycena interrupta.

Saprophages, are olophages that obtain nutrients by consuming decomposing dead plant or animal biomass. They are be distinguished from detrivores in that saprophages are sessile consumers while detrivore are mobile. Typical saprophagic animals include sedentary polychaetes such as amphitrites (Amphitritinae, worms of the family Terebellidae) and other terebellids.

The eating of wood, whether live or dead, is known as xylophagy. Τhe activity of animals feeding only on dead wood is called sapro-xylophagy and those animals, sapro-xylophagous.

Ecology

In food webs, saprophages generally play the roles of decomposers. There are two main branches of saprophges, broken down by nutrient source. There are necrophages which consume dead animal biomass, and thanatophages which consume dead plant biomass.

See also

• Detrivore
• Decomposer
• Saprotrophic nutrition
• Consumer-resource systems