What are plankton, benthos and nekton?
Plankton, benthos and nekton are the three groups into which aquatic living beings may be divided.
The plankton is formed by algae and the small animals that float near the water surface carried by the stream. The nekton is composed of the animals that actively dive and swim in water, like fishes, whales, turtles, sharks, etc. The benthos comprises animals that ecologically linked to the bottom, including many benthonic fishes, echinoderms, crustaceans, molluscs, poriferans and annelids.