The Rocky Intertidal Zone on the Washington Coast Supports a Community

question 160

Multiple Choice

The rocky intertidal zone on the Washington coast supports a community including a bivalve mussel, Mytilus, which is preyed upon by the sea star Pisaster.If sea stars are removed, the mussel becomes dominant and other space-occupying species, including algae, decline.This suggests that the sea star Pisaster in this community serves as a

• A) keystone predator, indirectly controlling the diversity of the entire community.
• B) top predator, controlling only the Mytilus population, but not affecting other species.
• C) low-level predator, which has little effect on the community.
• D) part-time member of the community, which comes and goes erratically.
• E) less important member of the community than the mussel Mytilus.

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