📌 The Question:

Which of the following are detritivores?

1. Earthworms
2. Jellyfish
3. Millipedes
4. Seahorses
5. Woodlice

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only
(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5 only
(c) 1, 3 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

✅ Correct Answer: (c) 1, 3 and 5 only

🧠 Classroom Explanation:

🔹 Detritivores are organisms that feed on dead and decaying organic matter (detritus) and help in decomposition and nutrient recycling.

✔ Earthworms — classic soil detritivores; ingest decaying plant matter and enrich soil
✔ Millipedes — feed on decaying leaves and organic debris
✔ Woodlice — consume decomposing plant material and aid humus formation

❌ Jellyfish — carnivorous, feed on zooplankton and small fish
❌ Seahorses — secondary consumers; feed on plankton and small crustaceans by suction feeding

Hence, only 1, 3 and 5 qualify as detritivores.

🔍 Curiosity Raiser:
🌍 Why are detritivores called the “silent recyclers” of ecosystems?
Because without them, nutrients would remain locked in dead matter, choking productivity.

📚 Enrich Notes (Exam Edge):

• Detritivores ≠ Decomposers

• Detritivores → ingest organic matter (earthworms, millipedes)
• Decomposers → chemically break it down (bacteria, fungi)

• Food Chain Position:
👉 Detritus → Detritivores → Decomposers → Nutrient pool

• UPSC Favorite Trick:

• Soil-dwellers + leaf litter feeders → likely detritivores
• Marine gelatinous animals → usually NOT

🪶 IAS Monk Whisper:
When life ends, detritivores quietly begin the next cycle.