Holoplankton differ from meroplankton in that holoplankton spend what part of life as plankton?

• A. The entire life cycle
• B. Only part of life
• C. They are never plankton
• D. Only during the larval stage

Answer: (A)

Holoplankton stay in the planktonic state their entire life. From hatching to death, they live and feed in the water column as plankton, so their adults are still part of the plankton community. That’s why the correct idea is that holoplankton spend the entire life cycle as plankton. In contrast, meroplankton are only planktonic for a portion of their lives—typically the larval stage—before they mature into adults that live in a different habitat, such as the benthos or nekton. So holoplankton and their entire life in the plankton, while meroplankton are planktonic only for a temporary phase.