pelagic
puh-LA-jik
/pəˈlædʒɪk/
Relating to the open sea.
Refers to the water column of the open ocean, neither close to the shore nor the bottom.
The story behind the word. Derived from the Greek 'pelagos', meaning the open sea. It describes the vast, blue wilderness that lies beyond the continental shelf.
Word relationships
- oceanic: A more general term for the open ocean.
- benthic: Relating to the bottom of the sea.
- neritic: Relating to the shallow part of the sea near a coast.
Commonly confused with
- benthic: Pelagic is the 'water' part; benthic is the 'floor' part.
Collocations
- pelagic zone
- pelagic fish
- pelagic birds
Example sentences
- "Pelagic fish like tuna and mackerel travel vast distances across the open ocean." Fisheries management.
- "The pelagic zone is the largest habitat on Earth by volume." Oceanographic study.
Memory hook
Pelagic starts with 'P', like 'Pool'—the giant pool of the open ocean. Pelagic = Open sea.
When not to use
Do not use for organisms that live on the sea floor (use 'benthic').
Fun facts
- Pelagic birds, like the Albatross, can spend years at sea without ever touching land.
Explore more words
aquatic, terrestrial, voyage, trophic, invertebrate, peripatetic
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