Are detritus feeders and filter feeders the same thing?

Detritus feeders and filter feeders are entirely different. Detritus feeders consume large amounts of decomposed organic matter (dirt) and absorb the useful organic material and use that for food. Filter feeders are marine organisms that filter large volumes of water through their bodies in order to filter out organic material. Not all of the material that filter feeders digest is rotting material. Filter feeders may filter planktonic larvae, algae and many other living organisms out of the water in addition to the rotting organic matter that they consume.

Filter Feeders

Not necessicarily. Filter feeder could eat detritus but are more likely to filter small living organisms from the water eg algae

Detritus feeders usually feed on the bottom and eat dead organic material.

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RE:

Are detritus feeders and filter feeders the same thing?

Am doing a paper on estuary animals.

No, a detritus feeder (also known as a detritovore) refers to anything that feeds off of rotting organic material. They don't necessarily live in water. An earthworm is one example. Filter feeders strain food particles from water.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_feeder

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detritivore