plankto-, plankt-, -plankton

A line on a map that represents the distribution of equal quantities of plankton, or of particular planktonic species: Professor Black asked his students to study the isoplankts to give a talk about certain types of plankton and their grouping or formations in the water.

An organism supported by a gelatinous case: Tom guessed that the jelly-like coverings on the kalloplankton enabled them to be suspended easily in water.

Tiny oceanic organisms that thrive between 15 and 250 fathoms: Mr. Simmons asked his students to find out more about knephoplankton that live in a depth between 30 and 500 meters in the sea.

A microscopic creature that consists primarily of organs floating with the aid of hairs, bristles, etc.: Tommy was amazed that a plankton called kremastoplankton could have body parts drifting on the water with the help of threadlike structures

Tiny lifeforms found in fresh water and in marshes: Mary took a sample of lake water with some limnoplankton to study, and she knew that the limnoplankton were in contrast to haliplankton, which could only be found in the ocean.

A form of life composed either of large plants (megaphytoplankton) or of elongate plants such as filamentous algae: Since Jane was studying biology, she had to learn about macrophytoplankton, some of which were large types of flora, and some that were filamentlike and had long and narrow forms.

A large plant or animal organism 20-200 mm in diameter: In biology class the students were able to view macrroplanktons without the need of a microscope.

Largest of the aggregate of small animal and plant organisms which are normally greater than 10 mm in diameter: Megaloplankton includes the ctenophore Venus's-girdle, which is up to 1,5 m long.

Plant and animal organisms of the largest size group: The megaplankton include the water-hyacinth, jellyfish, etc., and the megaplankton can range from 200 mm to 2 m in size.

Plant or animal larvae or eggs of organisms in marine coastal areas that spend only part of their life cycle as plankton, and being nekton or benthic dwellers at another time: Meroplankton pass only part of their course of developmental changes drifting or swimming weakly in water, such as the larvae of sea urchins, starfish, crustaceans, worms, and clams.

Pertaining to the organisms that swim in the sea during one phase of life, and live on the bottom of the sea the rest of their life spam: The meroplanktonic phase of life of certain oceanic creatures takes place during the larvae or egg stage of development where they drift around freely in the water.

A plant or animal organism of intermediate body size, between macroplanktons, which are large, and microplanktons, that are very small: The mesoplankton thrive between about a hundred fathoms from the bottom of the sea and a hundred from the surface, or between the epiplanktonic and bathyplanktonic levels.

Pertaining to the plant and animal organisms that dwell below the epiplanktonic level: Jane read about the mesoplanktonic plants that thrived below the entry of photosynthetically effective light.

Very tiny plant or animal organisms: Echinopluteus sea urchin larva use their ciliated arms for feeding on microplankton which measure from 20 to 200 micrometers in length.

Small plant or animal organisms that are buoyant: Morphoplankton are enabled to float by means of anatomical specializations such as droplets of oil or gas vesicles, or in which the rate of sinking is lessened by structural aspects or minute body size.