demersal

American  

[dih-mur-suhl] / dɪˈmɜr səl /

adjective

1. living or found near or in the deepest part of a body of water.

2. sinking to or deposited on the bottom of a body of water.

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demersal British  

/ dɪˈmɜːsəl /

adjective

1. living or occurring on the bottom of a sea or a lake

   demersal fish

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Etymology

Origin of demersal

First recorded in 1885–90; from Latin dēmersus, past participle of dēmergere “to sink, submerge, bury” + -al ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

The word demersal describes things that are on, near, or likely to sink to the bottom of a body of water. It could be used to describe bottom-dwelling fish, nets used for trawling, or seafloor-adjacent zones of the ocean. Demersel comes from the Latin de, meaning "down," and mergere, meaning "plunge." The word literally means "plunge down," which describes where you must go to find demersal organisms. Demersal fish are any species that live and feed near the bottom of a sea or lake. You may know these fish better than you think: Many popular food fish, such as cod, hake, and halibut, are demersal fish.

Example Sentences

“We’ve been sold out,” said David Stevens, 46-year-old skipper of the 24.5 metre Crystal Sea twin-rig demersal trawler.

From Reuters • Dec. 30, 2020

Among demersal fishermen, in which boats go after species such as cod, haddock, halibut, and monkfish, skippers cannot always predict the type of fish they will catch.

From Slate • Jul. 24, 2017