benthos

The organisms that live on a lake or sea bed. The plants (phytobenthos) that grow below low-tide mark include members of the flowering plant family Zosteraceae, such as eelgrasses (Zostera), and certain red algae, such as dulse (Rhodymenia palmata). A variety of plants grow rooted in the *littoral zone of lakes and ponds, including water lilies (Nuphar, Nymphaea), pondweeds (Potamogeton), and water milfoils (Myriophyllwn).