Relating to or living on the bottom of the ocean, sea, or lake, especially referring to organisms that live there.
From Greek benthos 'depth of the sea' plus -ic meaning 'of or relating to.' The term became standard in marine biology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Benthonic creatures have developed some of the weirdest adaptations on Earth—anglerfish have built-in fishing rods with light-producing lures, and some crustaceans have adapted to crushing pressures that would instantly flatten a human.
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