Animals A-Z – Benthos is also known as benthon. This refers to the community of organisms, known as benthic organisms, living in the benthic zone, or the area at the bottom of a body of water.
Benthos are an important part of not only the ecosystem of the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay but also the entire bay. They are a significant part of the food web, and they can act as an indicator of the overall health of the ecosystem. Benthos can break down decaying organic materials and return the nutrients to the environment, helping to prevent imbalance.
A healthy benthic community will include organisms sitting directly at the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay as well as those that spend the majority of their time in the bottom soil.
Examples of benthos include clams, worms, oysters, mussels, plants, microorganisms, and additional organisms.
Some of the organisms that can be found at the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay include:
- Black-fingered mud crab
- Atlantic oyster drill
- Sea squirts
- Atlantic mud worm
- Ivory barnacle
- Oyster spat
- American oyster
- Skilletfish
- Hard clam
- Common clam worm
- Red ribbon worm
- Soft-shelled clam
- Glass tube worm
- Flatworm
- Snails
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