Holoplankton are organisms that are
planktonPlankton consist of any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. Plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than their phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
ic for their entire life cycle. Examples of holoplankton include
diatomDiatoms are a major group of eukaryotic algae, and are one of the most common types of phytoplankton. Most diatoms are unicellular, although they can exist as colonies in the shape of filaments or ribbons Diatoms (Greek: (dia) = "through" + (temnein) = "to cut", i.e., "cut in half") are a major...
s,
radiolarianRadiolarians are amoeboid protozoa that produce intricate mineral skeletons, typically with a central capsule dividing the cell into inner and outer portions, called endoplasm and ectoplasm. They are found as zooplankton throughout the ocean, and their skeletal remains cover large portions of the...
s,
dinoflagellateThe dinoflagellates are a large group of flagellate protists. Most are marine plankton, but they are common in fresh water habitats as well. Their populations are distributed depending on temperature, salinity, or depth. About half of all dinoflagellates are photosynthetic, and these make up the...
s,
foraminiferaThe Foraminifera, or forams for short, are a large group of amoeboid protists with reticulating pseudopods, fine strands of cytoplasm that branch and merge to form a dynamic net. They typically produce a test, or shell, which can have either one or multiple chambers, some becoming quite elaborate...
, amphipods,
krillKrill is a type of shrimp-like marine invertebrate animal. These small crustaceans are important organisms of the zooplankton, particularly as food for baleen whales, manta rays, whale sharks, crabeater seals, and other seals, and a few seabird species that feed almost exclusively on them. Another...
,
copepodCopepods are a group of small crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat. Many species are planktonic , but more are benthic , and some continental species may live in limno-terrestrial habitats and other wet terrestrial places, such as swamps, under leaf fall in wet forests,...
s, and
salpA salp is a barrel-shaped, free-floating tunicate. It moves by contracting, thus pumping water through its gelatinous body...
s.
Australian Museum Online
Asexual Holoplankton:
1. Copepod
2. Physalia physalis
Holoplankton spend their entire lives as part of the plankton.
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Holoplankton are organisms that are
planktonPlankton consist of any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. Plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than their phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
ic for their entire life cycle. Examples of holoplankton include
diatomDiatoms are a major group of eukaryotic algae, and are one of the most common types of phytoplankton. Most diatoms are unicellular, although they can exist as colonies in the shape of filaments or ribbons Diatoms (Greek: (dia) = "through" + (temnein) = "to cut", i.e., "cut in half") are a major...
s,
radiolarianRadiolarians are amoeboid protozoa that produce intricate mineral skeletons, typically with a central capsule dividing the cell into inner and outer portions, called endoplasm and ectoplasm. They are found as zooplankton throughout the ocean, and their skeletal remains cover large portions of the...
s,
dinoflagellateThe dinoflagellates are a large group of flagellate protists. Most are marine plankton, but they are common in fresh water habitats as well. Their populations are distributed depending on temperature, salinity, or depth. About half of all dinoflagellates are photosynthetic, and these make up the...
s,
foraminiferaThe Foraminifera, or forams for short, are a large group of amoeboid protists with reticulating pseudopods, fine strands of cytoplasm that branch and merge to form a dynamic net. They typically produce a test, or shell, which can have either one or multiple chambers, some becoming quite elaborate...
, amphipods,
krillKrill is a type of shrimp-like marine invertebrate animal. These small crustaceans are important organisms of the zooplankton, particularly as food for baleen whales, manta rays, whale sharks, crabeater seals, and other seals, and a few seabird species that feed almost exclusively on them. Another...
,
copepodCopepods are a group of small crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat. Many species are planktonic , but more are benthic , and some continental species may live in limno-terrestrial habitats and other wet terrestrial places, such as swamps, under leaf fall in wet forests,...
s, and
salpA salp is a barrel-shaped, free-floating tunicate. It moves by contracting, thus pumping water through its gelatinous body...
s.
Sources
Australian Museum Online
Asexual Holoplankton:
1. Copepod
2. Physalia physalis
Holoplankton spend their entire lives as part of the plankton. This group includes krill, copepods, various pelagic (free swimming) sea snails and slugs, salps, jellyfish and a small number of the marine worms. To most people jellyfish are probably the most visible and best known of this group. Australian tropical waters contain a huge diversity of jellyfish, all of which are predatory, securing their prey using stinging cells (nematocysts) or sticky cells (colloblasts). The most famous is the Bluebottle or Portuguese Man-of-War Physalia physalis, which washes up in huge numbers on Australian beaches from time to time.