Benthoses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Organisms living on, in, or near the bottom of aquatic environments such as seas, lakes, or rivers; collectively referring to the community of these bottom dwellers; the ecological zone comprising these life forms
2. The flora and fauna inhabiting the sediment surface and sub-surface of bodies of water; the collective biological community residing on or near the aquatic floor; ecological designation for species tied to bottom habitats
3. Life forms attached to or buried within the lowest levels of water bodies; the entire assemblage of bottom-dwelling organisms in marine or freshwater habitats; the benthic ecosystem components associated with substrate surfaces

Etymology: "Benthoses" is the plural of "benthos," a noun that came into English from Ancient Greek "bénthos," meaning "the depths." The Greek word was used for the depths of the sea, and the English term was built on that sense of a place far below the surface, where life gathers on or in the bottom sediments. The plural form is used when scientists refer to several distinct bottom-dwelling communities, such as those of different lakes, shelves, or ocean trenches, rather than the single collective assemblage that "benthos" itself denotes. The word thus keeps its original focus on depth: whatever lives at the floor of a body of water, whether in salt or fresh water, belongs to it.

Synonyms: bottom dwellers, benthic organisms

Antonyms: pelagic organisms, surface dwellers