What organisms depend on protists for food?

Protists can be food to animals, other protists or bacteria.

Photosynthetic protists, such as algae, can make their own food and are considered autotrophic producers. Primary consumers, or herbivores, would eat this type of protist. Examples of these consumers include small fish, mollusks, jellyfish, and whales.

Animal-like protists, such as amoebas, are themselves heterotrophic and must eat to survive. Such protists may eat other protists. Zooplanktons are also consumers of protists.

Protists once were a part of a kingdom called Protista. The Protista kingdom no longer exists. Protists are a diverse group eukaryotic organisms that are not fungi, plants, or animals. Most protists are unicellular or colonial, but do not form tissue. Protists can be plant-like, such as algae. Other protists, such as slime molds, are fungus-like. Finally, some protists, such as protozoa, are animal-like.