Holoplankton and Meroplankton: Two Peculiar Terms for Common Creatures

Biologists use Greek or Latin roots to name organisms, leading to terms like holoplankton (spend entire life cycle as plankton) and meroplankton (only part of their lives as plankton). Examples include copepods (holoplankton) and larval stages of familiar creatures like starfish and crabs (meroplankton). Some meroplankton larvae look different from adults, while others closely resemble them. For instance, flatfish young larvae, like turbot and sole, have eyes on both sides for a three-dimensional view in the water column, but as they develop, one eye migrates to the same side as the other, adapting to benthic behavior.