Which specific benthic invertebrates were a strong component of the Xenacanthus diet?
Answer
Crustaceans.
Fossil evidence indicates a significant reliance by Xenacanthus on the smaller inhabitants of the benthic layer, which is the bottom substrate of the water body. Among these bottom-dwellers, crustaceans were explicitly noted as being part of its reliable food base. These shelled arthropods would have offered necessary protein and hard materials, which were important resources in habitats where larger, more agile prey might have been scarce or difficult to capture effectively.
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