apex predator

American  

[ey-peks pred-uh-ter, -tawr] / ˈeɪ pɛks ˈprɛd ə tər, -ˌtɔr /

noun

1. a carnivore that preys on other animals but has no natural predators of its own; the predator at the top of a particular food chain.

   Sharks fill an important ecological niche as apex predators, keeping the population of other species from exploding.

---

Etymology

Origin of apex predator

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

A wolf arrived in Los Angeles County on Saturday morning, marking the first time the apex predator has been documented in the area in at least a century, according to state wildlife officials.

From Los Angeles Times

They also found many arthropods -- a family that includes modern-day crabs and insects -- including spiny, stalk-eyed creatures called radiodonts which were the apex predator of the time.

From Barron's

Their invention was like dropping a new apex predator into the investment habitat—an unfair fight.

From The Wall Street Journal

To earn his “cloak,” a symbol of acceptance as a full-fledged member of his clan, Dek travels to the planet Genna to bag a Kalisk, a fellow apex predator even his father won’t risk his life against.

From Salon

According to Voris, "This new species provides us the window into the ascent stage of Tyrannosaur evolution; right when they're transitioning from small predators to their apex predator form."

From Science Daily