holoplankton

[hol-uh-plangk-tuh n, hoh-luh-]

noun

plankton that spend their entire life cycle as free-swimming organisms (opposed to hemiplankton).

Origin of holoplankton

holo- + plankton

Related formshol·o·plank·ton·ic

[hol-oh-plangk-ton-ik, hoh-loh-] /ˌhɒl oʊ plæŋkˈtɒn ɪk, ˌhoʊ loʊ-/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for holoplankton

holoplankton

noun

organisms, such as diatoms and algae, that spend all stages of their life cycle as planktonCompare meroplankton

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for holoplankton

holoplankton

[hŏl′ə-plăngk′tən, hō′lə-]

Plankton that remains free-swimming through all stages of its life cycle.