The difference is really simple, it's basically whether it's an plant or animal
It is the same as creating more pests or setting up dominant species which upset the ecological food pyramid leading to decimation of trophic levels or predators and energy cycling. Fishes feed on microscopic algae and animals the primary base of the food chain in water, if they are not checked they will choke the rivers and oceans causing toxic waters. Fish feed to contain them, in the process they grow and increase in numbers but their population is checked by bigger fishes and so on till it reaches a top predator which is usually a large animal.
