Flatworms feed primarily on protozoa and bacteria, smaller worms and any tiny animals, dead or alive, that they encounter. Depending on the species, flatworms also consume plant materials, such as algae. Young flatworms might eat plants, but start feeding on animal matter as they mature.

How does the flatworms eat?

They feed on tunicates, small crustaceans, worms, and molluscs. These flatworms feed like sea stars, extruding their pharynx, which secretes enzymes to digest their prey. Parasitic flatworms play a role in keeping the populations of some animals low.

Why do flatworms eat?

Although very thin and delicate, flatworms are active carnivores and scavengers, using their proboscis to feed on dead or injured animals and colonial animals such as bryozoans and soft-corals. Flatworms can quickly glide along the bottom by using the fine hairlike cilia which cover their body.