The term for a drifting, free-swimming organism at the base of the plankton, sometimes used to describe larvae or small organisms, is?

The term for a drifting, free-swimming organism at the base of the plankton, sometimes used to describe larvae or small organisms, is?

• A. Plankton
• B. Nekton
• C. Phytoplankton
• D. Plankter

Answer: (D)

A drifting, weakly swimming organism that forms part of the base of the plankton is described as a plankter. This term focuses on the individual organism that drifts with currents, often representing larvae or very small life stages. Plankton is the broader community of all such drifting organisms, not a single creature. Nekton are the actively swimming, larger fauna that can move against currents. Phytoplankton is the photosynthetic portion of plankton. So plankter is the best fit because it identifies the small, drifting organisms themselves rather than the entire community or the type of plankton.

A drifting, weakly swimming organism that forms part of the base of the plankton is described as a plankter. This term focuses on the individual organism that drifts with currents, often representing larvae or very small life stages. Plankton is the broader community of all such drifting organisms, not a single creature. Nekton are the actively swimming, larger fauna that can move against currents. Phytoplankton is the photosynthetic portion of plankton. So plankter is the best fit because it identifies the small, drifting organisms themselves rather than the entire community or the type of plankton.