benthic
adjective
- of, relating to, or occurring at the bottom of a body of water
- of, relating to, or occurring in the depths of the ocean
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈbɛnθɪk/
adj
Etymology: From benthos + -ic. By surface analysis, benth- + -ic.
- Pertaining to the benthos; living on the seafloor, as opposed to floating in the ocean.
“Near-synonyms: bathyal, abyssal, hadal”
“The benthic environment, except for intertidal areas, has been scarcely explored[…]”
noun
Etymology: From benthos + -ic. By surface analysis, benth- + -ic.
- Any organism that lives on the seafloor.