What are phytoplankton and zooplankton?
1 Answer
Apr 17, 2017
Planktons are microscopic organisms which are floating passively on suface of open water ecosystems. These are present in both fresh water and marine habitats, drifting with current.
Planktons are diverse in nature, broadly divided in zooplankton and phytoplankton . Autotrophic components are phytoplanktons and heterotrophic components are zooplanktons, but detrivorous planktonic organisms are also present. Larvae of non-planktonic organisms could also initially live as planktons.
(
)
Though planktons are microscopic in size but they play very important role in aquatic food chains. Phytoplanktons are only producers in open oceans. Planktons are short lived but their rate of reproduction is very high.
(
)
