Tell me more ×
Biology Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for biology researchers, academics, and students. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 2 down vote favorite
1

Possibility also include "adaptation mode" if such exist. I don't discern whether autotrophic/heterotrophic part play only minor role either.

share|improve this question
Does "complex" mean multicellular here? Or something more? Plants are usually autotrophs - do they count as complex? – Alan Boyd Nov 25 '12 at 11:55
yes multicellular at least – dhubris Nov 26 '12 at 6:14

2 Answers

up vote 5 down vote

For example sundews are plants (so autotrophic), but they "hunt" for insects to get additional nutrients, e.g. nitrogen. As far as I remember the nitrogen is the main reason for eating other organisms but they also use other substances, including carbohydrates, from their prey.

share|improve this answer
1  
To add to this: Those which are both are called photoheterotrophs or chemoheterotrophs. They get their energy from the sun/chemicals (via oxidation of electron donors) respectively but do not get all of their carbon from carbon dioxide, it is subsidised by the consumption of other matter. – rg255 Nov 25 '12 at 22:18
@jkadlubowska: OK, but it make sundews ambiguous to fungi or other parasitic plants. I'm expecting more extreme case, maybe invertebrate? – dhubris Nov 26 '12 at 6:20
1  
@dhubris could you make what you actually want clearer? in the question it says "complex organism" then in the comments you define that as "multicellular at least" and now here you set the bar higher and want invertebrates, clarity will get the best answers. There are some cases of symbiosis between chemoautotrophs and invertebrates almost exclusively in deep sea environments (geology.wisc.edu/~wiscsims/pdfs/Dattagupta_ISME2009.pdf). However, in the definition of the animal kingdom it states that all animals are heterotrophs (windows2universe.org/earth/Life/animalia.html) – rg255 Nov 26 '12 at 8:26
up vote 4 down vote

Just look up kleptoplasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleptoplasty The slugs who most frequently employ it would fit your more restrictive definition. Now, if we're getting technical, they aren't born that way. They steal the chloroplasts, but you didn't say, so I guess you need to revise your expectations again. ;)

share|improve this answer
now that is a cool symbiosis! – rg255 Nov 26 '12 at 22:50

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.