Aquatic ecosystem

The distinctive ecosystem dominated by water, aquatic plants, or aquatic animals. Usually the substrate for plant and microorganism growth is water, not soil in the usual sense. This is distinct from the riparian ecosystem, which is a terrestrial ecosystem, and water-dependent, but where the substrate is soil. In the aquatic ecosystem, producers include phytoplanktonic algae, and autotrophic consumers include crustaceans, rotifers, and fish. Heterotrophic consumers include benthic insects, mollusks, and crustaceans.