Nekton

Nekton refers to the aggregate of actively swimming aquatic organisms in a body of water (usually oceans or lakes) able to move independently of water currents. Nekton are contrasted with 'plankton' which refers to the aggregate of passively floating, drifting, or somewhat motile organisms occurring in a body of water, primarily comprising tiny algae and bacteria, small eggs and larvae of marine organisms, and protozoa and other minute predators. When people think of plankton they think of tiny microscopic organisms but the jelly fish are also plankton.

Oceanic nekton

Oceanic nekton comprises animals largely from three clades

• Vertebrates form the largest contribution, these animals are supported by either bones or cartilage.
• Molluscs are animals like oysters, squids, and scallops.
• Crustaceans are animals like lobsters and crabs.

See also

• plankton (the organisms that float or drift within the water)
• neuston (the organisms that float on the water)
• benthos (the organisms at the bottom of a body of water)

External links

• Stefan Nehring and Ute Albrecht (1997): „hell und das redundante Benthon: Neologismen in der deutschsprachigen Limnologie“. In: Lauterbornia H. 31: 17-30, Dinkelscherben, Dezember 1997 E-Text (PDF-Datei)