What is the smallest meat eating marine animal?

It's tough to definitively say what the *smallest* meat-eating marine animal is because there are so many tiny creatures in the ocean! However, we can talk about some contenders:

Tiny Carnivores:

* Copepods: These microscopic crustaceans are incredibly abundant and many species are predatory, feeding on other zooplankton. Some copepods even have specialized appendages to catch their prey.

* Arrow Worms (Chaetognaths): These transparent, torpedo-shaped worms are common in the open ocean. They are voracious predators, using hooks and spines to capture other zooplankton, including copepods.

* Some larval fish: Many fish begin their lives as tiny larvae, and some of these are already carnivores, feeding on other larvae or zooplankton.

Considerations:

* Size: We're dealing with microscopic creatures, so defining "smallest" can be tricky.

* Diet: "Meat-eating" can be interpreted broadly. Do we consider zooplankton "meat"?

* Habitat: Some tiny carnivores may be more common in specific ocean habitats.

Bottom Line: There isn't a single, clear-cut answer to your question. The ocean teems with tiny, predatory creatures!