nektobenthic animals

[Constance F Carr]

: >Thaks for your response!
: >
: >Hmmmm.... what I'm trying to do is put together a community structure for
: >the Burgess Shale -- on a very basic level anyway.
: >
: >As I understand it, pelagic organisms live on or near the surface, infauna
: >live under the sediment, epifauna live on the sediment, and I would guess
: >that nektobenthic animals live somewhere between the sediment andthe
: >surface.  Like a big fish, for example.  Which would sort of fit with what
: >you say.
: >
: >Can anyone confirm this?
: >
: >connie

: To tell the truth, I've never heard the term "nektobenthic".  As I understand
: it there are two basic divisions in marine systems.  Benthic and pelagic.

: Benthic being those organisms living on or in the substrate. Epi- and in-faunal
: being further divisions of benthic.  

: Pelagic being those organisms living in the water column.  Plankton are 
: organisms too small to maintain their (horizontal) position in the water
: column.  Nekton refering to organisms able to move against ambient water
: currents.  Big fish are generally lumped in with the nekton.  

: Unfortunately I missed the beginning of this thread, so I'm not sure where
: the term nektobenthic comes from.  Since the term nekton refers to more than
: the physical location of the organism (it implies the ability to move against
: currents), nektobenthic probably refers to an organism, such as a blue crab or
: flounder, which lives in the benthic community and can move against ambient 
: water flow.  Other organisms, such as bottom feeding fish, might be included
: in such a group if they are generally considered part of the nekton, but 
: interact regularly with the benthic community.

: Hope I didn't add to the confusion.

: -Chris
: -- 
: Chris Finelli (Internet: finelli at rocky.geol.scarolina.edu) (803) 777-3943
: Marine Science Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia SC 29208

Thanks!  That's great!
connie