zooplankton

[ zoh-uh-plangk-tuh n ]
/ ˌzoʊ əˈplæŋk tən /

noun

the aggregate of animal or animallike organisms in plankton, as protozoans.
Compare phytoplankton.

Origin of zooplankton

First recorded in 1900–05; zoo- + plankton

Words nearby zooplankton

zoophilous, zoophobia, zoophorus, zoophyte, zooplankter, zooplankton, zooplasty, zoopraxiscope, zoosemiotics, zoosperm, zoosporangium

British Dictionary definitions for zooplankton

zooplankton
/ (ˌzəʊəˈplæŋktən) /

noun

the animal constituent of plankton, which consists mainly of small crustaceans and fish larvae Compare phytoplankton

Scientific definitions for zooplankton

zooplankton
[ zō′ə-plăngk′tən ]

Plankton that consists of tiny animals, such as rotifers, copepods, and krill, and of microorganisms once classified as animals, such as dinoflagellates and other protozoans.