Seaweeds are part of the diet of many turtle species.
Seaweeds are marine algae that often grow in shallow waters of the oceans. They play a key role in the marine food chain, providing food for many animals, such as reptiles, mammals and invertebrates. Some species of seaweeds have been a source of human food since prehistoric times. Seaweeds are rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Mammals
Although not their main food source, seaweed is part of the diet of carnivores like polar bears, arctic foxes and seals. Deer living near coastal areas also feed on seaweeds that come ashore. North Ronaldsay sheep in the Orkney Islands of northern Scotland, can eat as much as four kilos of seaweed per day. In addition to these mammals, humans also eat some seaweed species, in their diets, including Irish moss (Chondrus crispus), to make desserts and Porphyra, to make soups and to wrap sushi.
Reptiles
Marine iguanas, native from the Galapagos Islands and up to three feet in length, are the only marine lizards that feed on seaweed. While female and young marine iguanas get the seaweed from rocks during low tide, males often dive and eat seaweed on the ocean floor. Some sea turtle species, such as the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), on seaweed.
Fish
Few fish feed on seaweed because it is difficult for them to digest. However, butterfish has seaweed as part of their diet. They can bite off chunks of seaweed with their beak-like jaws. Butterfish can digest they have special bacteria in their guts. Parrotfish and the surgeonfish are also seaweed-eaters.
Invertebrates
Many crustaceans, invertebrate marine animals with an external skeleton, eat seaweed, including crabs, lobsters, crayfish, woodlice, pillbugs and krill. Mollusks such as periwinkles, a type of snails that live on the seashore, also feed on seaweed attached to rocks. Other species of snails that eat seaweed include sea hares, Norris snails and abalones. Sea urchins are also seaweed-feeders.
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