benthos








noun

  1. the biogeographic region that includes the bottom of a lake, sea, or ocean, and the littoral and supralittoral zones of the shore.

noun

  1. the animals and plants living at the bottom of a sea or lake
  2. the bottom of a sea or lake
n.

“life forms of the deep ocean and sea floor,” 1891, coined by Haeckel from Greek benthos “depth of the sea,” related to bathos “depth,” bathys “deep,” of unknown origin. Adjective benthic is attested from 1902.

  1. The bottom of a sea or lake.
  2. The organisms living on sea or lake bottoms. The benthos are divided into sessile organisms (those that are attached to the bottom or to objects on or near the bottom) and vagrant organisms (those that crawl or swim along the bottom). Compare nekton plankton. See more at epifauna infauna.
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