Zooplankton
Zooplankton
Invertebrate
Zooplankton are the ocean's tiny drifting animals, forming a vital link in the food chain between microscopic algae and larger sea creatures.
💡 Fun Facts
- Microscopic animal drifters in the ocean.
- Crucial link between tiny algae and larger marine life.
Name Story
none — 'zooplankton' is a group of many animals, not a single species
means “the drifting animals”
likely meaningNot a single species but a huge group of drifting animals, so it has no scientific (two-word) name — only the meaning of the word itself.
What does its name mean?
- zoo- — animalGreek zōon
- plankton — wandering, driftingGreek planktos 'made to wander'
'Plankton' means 'the wanderers', and that is just what these tiny ocean animals are — far too small to swim against the sea, they drift wherever the currents carry them. 'Zooplankton' are the animal drifters, from baby crabs and fish to see-through jellies.