Plankton are usually found floating in water. A major division of animals with a backbone made up of several different sections. Hostile or mean towards others. While cannibalism is fairly common among insects and crustaceans, most backboned animals avoid feeding on their own kind. The tiger salamander of the arid Southwest is another case entirely.
Tiger salamanders begin life by munching aquatic crustaceans and insects.
But about four weeks after birth, a certain percentage of the creatures develop wider heads and enlarged teeth. James Collins, a professor and chair of Arizona State University's Biology Department. New studies conducted by Collins and Cornell University's David Pfennig show that salamanders growing up among relatives are less likely to become cannibals than those raised with non-relatives. This theory provides an explanation why cannibalism is the salamander's method to help its relatives. When the salamander becomes cannibalistic, and eats non-relatives, it removes some of the competition for valuable resources.