zooplankton
noun
zoo·plank·ton
ˌzō-ə-ˈplaŋ(k)-tən 
-ˌtän
plural zooplankton also zooplanktons
: freely floating or weakly swimming typically minute aquatic protozoans and animals (such as copepods, rotifers, and arrow worms) or the eggs or larvae of aquatic animals (such as anemones, mollusks, and fish) : plankton composed of animals
… numerous varieties of adult gamefish depend on zooplankton for a substantial portion of their diets throughout their lives.—
Byron W. Dalrymple
Byron W. DalrymplePhytoplankton exhale life-giving oxygen and are consumed as food by zooplankton and small fish, which, in turn, are eaten by larger fish.—Kenneth R. Weiss
Kenneth R. WeissRight whales eat zooplankton, which are tiny creatures that float along in the water column, by straining huge amounts of sea water through their baleen.—Wendall Waters
compare phytoplankton
Wendall WatersExamples of zooplankton in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Although a single penguin is capable of devouring thousands of krill in a single sitting, swarms of the zooplankton may detect disturbances in the water ahead of mealtime.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Mar. 2025
Invasive species such as the overbite clam consumed the zooplankton on which juvenile smelt had fed, toxic chemicals in farm runoff fouled the waters.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Food web: Less ice and warmer waters can cause phytoplankton − microscopic plant-like organisms that form the base of many aquatic food webs − to bloom earlier than the zooplankton that feed on them.
—Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 23 Dec. 2024
Within the hour, conservation scientist Lauren Eckert, who is on the board of the Alaska Whale Foundation, had come aboard to give an impromptu talk connecting the ocean’s largest creatures, baleen whales, with its smallest, the tiny floating zooplankton that whales consume in vast quantities.
—Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2025
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Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Mar. 2025
Invasive species such as the overbite clam consumed the zooplankton on which juvenile smelt had fed, toxic chemicals in farm runoff fouled the waters.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Food web: Less ice and warmer waters can cause phytoplankton − microscopic plant-like organisms that form the base of many aquatic food webs − to bloom earlier than the zooplankton that feed on them.
—Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 23 Dec. 2024
Within the hour, conservation scientist Lauren Eckert, who is on the board of the Alaska Whale Foundation, had come aboard to give an impromptu talk connecting the ocean’s largest creatures, baleen whales, with its smallest, the tiny floating zooplankton that whales consume in vast quantities.
—Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zooplankton
Cite this Entry
“Zooplankton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zooplankton. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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zooplankton
noun
zoo·plank·ton
ˌzō-ə-ˈplaŋ(k)-tən
-ˌtän
: plankton that is composed of animals
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