What does "benthic" mean?

Any organism that lives on the seafloor.

Benthic

Q: What is a synonym for "benthic"?

Common synonyms include: benthal, benthonic, bottom-associated, bottom-boundary, bottom-dwelling, demersal.

/ˈbɛnθɪk/ adj, noun

adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
Any organism that lives on the seafloor.

Adjective

1
Pertaining to the benthos; living on the seafloor, as opposed to floating in the ocean. not-comparable
"The benthic environment, except for intertidal areas, has been scarcely explored[…]"

Adjective

1
of or relating to or happening on the bottom under a body of water wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

benthal benthonic bottom-associated bottom-boundary bottom-dwelling demersal

Antonyms

All antonyms

pelagic pelagic ecosystems pelagic environment pelagic habitat

Example

More examples

"At first glance the sand seems barren and unproductive. After a while, if you are careful not to kick up sand, you might see tiny benthic communities of tube-building worms come alive as they sweep the passing nutrient rich waters with tentacles to capture food."

Etymology

From benthos + -ic. By surface analysis, benth- + -ic.

More for "benthic"

Synonyms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms Browse writing guides Explore topic clusters