bottom-dwelling
Living on substrate
Bottom-dwelling describes organisms that live on or near the floor of a body of water—lakes, rivers, or ocean beds.
Catfish, flounder, and crabs are bottom-dwelling species.
The term applies literally to aquatic life but occasionally extends figuratively to people or things occupying the lowest level of something: bottom-dwelling teams in the league standings.
Barbeled freshwater bottom-feeder
- flounderStruggle awkwardly, or seafood
- halibutLarge edible flatfish
- soleFoot's bottom surface
- grouperLarge predatory reef fish
anglerfish · monkfish · stingray · sculpin · carp · cod · eel · goby
Eats dead organic material
- scavengerSeeker of refuse
- filter feederAnimal straining waterborne nutrients
- decomposerOrganism breaking down corpses
- trophicRelating to feeding
benthic · foraging · detritus · symbiosis · biodiversity · camouflage · burrowing · predation
Characterized by much sitting
- stationaryNot in motion
- anchoredFixed securely in position
- burrowingDigging to create shelter
- camouflagedVisually hidden by coloring
nocturnal · ambush · lurking · foraging · territorial · slow-moving · cryptic · filter-feeding
catfish
Barbeled freshwater bottom-feeder
grouper · anglerfish · monkfish · stingray · sculpin · carp · cod · eel · goby · flatfish
detritivore
Eats dead organic material
- scavengerSeeker of refuse
- filter feederAnimal straining waterborne nutrients
- decomposerOrganism breaking down corpses
trophic · benthic · foraging · detritus · symbiosis · biodiversity · camouflage · burrowing · predation
sedentary
Characterized by much sitting
- stationaryNot in motion
- anchoredFixed securely in position
- burrowingDigging to create shelter
camouflaged · nocturnal · ambush · lurking · foraging · territorial · slow-moving · cryptic · filter-feeding · scavenging
substrate
Underlying supporting material
sand · mudflat · seafloor · riverbed · lakebed · coral reef · kelp forest · estuary · mangrove · continental shelf
bottom-dwellingpelagic
Of the open sea
free-floating · free-swimming · planktonic · drifting · midwater
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