Marine Biology (2+1)

Meroplankton

Meroplankton are organisms that spend only part of their life in the plankton. These are temporary planktonic organisms. These include the larval forms of majority of benthic invertebrates and nektonic forms. Often benthic organisms have an early planktonic stage in the life history followed by metamorphoses into an organism which settles to the bottom . There include species of seaweeds and kelps, and also crabs, shrimps, lobsters, clams, oysters, and worms among many others. The meroplanktonic forms, such as eggs and larvae of fin fishes are collectively called as ichthyoplankton.