Here's a breakdown:
Free-living flatworms (Turbellaria):
* Predators: These flatworms typically hunt and consume other small invertebrates like rotifers, nematodes, and even other flatworms. They have a mouth located on their underside and a muscular pharynx to capture and ingest prey.
* Scavengers: Some free-living flatworms are opportunistic scavengers, feeding on dead animals and decaying organic matter.
* Filter feeders: Some flatworms use cilia (tiny hair-like structures) to create currents that bring food particles to their mouths.
Parasitic flatworms:
* Blood feeders: Some parasitic flatworms like flukes live in the bloodstreams of their hosts and feed on their blood.
* Intestinal parasites: Other flatworms like tapeworms live in the intestines of their hosts and absorb nutrients from the host's digested food.
Examples:
* Planarians: Common free-living flatworms, often kept as pets, are carnivores that feed on small invertebrates like brine shrimp.
* Flukes: Parasitic flatworms that infect a variety of animals, including humans. They feed on blood or intestinal contents.
* Tapeworms: Parasitic flatworms that live in the intestines of vertebrates, absorbing nutrients from their hosts.
Overall, flatworms have a diverse diet, ranging from small invertebrates to blood and intestinal contents, depending on their lifestyle and species.
