om ius ▁Category : Cy pr in id ▁fish ▁of ▁Africa ▁Category : F ish ▁described ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁Category : T ax onomy ▁articles ▁created ▁by ▁Pol bot <0x0A> </s> ▁Mer op l ank ton ▁is ▁a ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁pl ank ton ic ▁organ isms , ▁which ▁spend ▁a ▁portion ▁of ▁their ▁lives ▁in ▁the ▁b enth ic ▁region ▁of ▁the ▁ocean . ▁These ▁organ isms ▁do ▁not ▁remain ▁as ▁pl ank ton ▁perman ently , ▁rather , ▁they ▁are ▁pl ank ton ic ▁components ▁in ▁transition , ▁which ▁eventually ▁become ▁larger ▁organ isms . ▁Mer op l ank ton ▁can ▁be ▁contrast ed ▁with ▁hol op l ank ton , ▁which ▁are ▁pl ank ton ic ▁organ isms ▁that ▁stay ▁in ▁the ▁pel ag ic ▁zone ▁as ▁pl ank ton ▁throughout ▁their ▁entire ▁life ▁cycle . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁pl ank ton , ▁mer op l ank ton ▁either ▁gradu ate ▁to ▁the ▁ne k ton ▁or ▁adopt ▁a ▁b enth ic ▁( o ften ▁sess ile ) ▁l ifest yle ▁on ▁the ▁se af loor . ▁Mer op l ank ton ▁consists ▁of ▁lar val ▁stages ▁of ▁organ isms ▁such ▁as ▁sea ▁ur ch ins , ▁star fish , ▁and ▁cr ust ace ans . ▁Success ▁of ▁mer op l ank ton ▁populations ▁depends ▁on ▁many ▁factors , ▁such ▁as ▁adult ▁f ec und ity , ▁fert il ization ▁success , ▁growth ▁and ▁lar val ▁stage ▁duration , ▁behaviour , ▁dispers