Biodiversity
Brain
Genetics
Marine BiOLogy
MicrobiOLogy
PaleontOLogy
ZoOLogy
AnthropOLogy
ArchaeOLogy
Astronomy
Climate Change
Earth
Physics
Water
An Underwater Zoo
There are different kinds of zooplankton. The ones that spend their entire lives as plankton are called "holoplankton." (The prefix "holo" means "whole.") Some holoplankton are simple one-celled organisms like ciliates and flagellates. Others are tiny shrimp-like creatures called copepods. Another type of zooplankton, called meroplankton, spends only part of its life as plankton. (The prefix "mero" means "part.") Meroplankton, like crabs, clams, worms, and fish, are babies or young animals that live like plankton until they become adults.
OLOGY CARD 194
Series: Animal
zooplankton
Zooplankton are tiny marine animals that drift with ocean currents and the winds. Many zooplankton can swim up and down the water column, but most are so small that they can't swim strongly against the current. Zooplankton also include larvae, immature forms of larger marine animals. These ocean babies will eventually gain the ability to swim, to propel themselves through water, or settle on the ocean floor when they become adults.
Image credits: main image, Sean Murtha.