Demersal

Demersal fish occupy the demersal zone — the water layer immediately above the seafloor — and often rest on or burrow into the substrate. They are the primary targets of bottom trawl fisheries. Demersal fish include many commercially important species: Atlantic cod, haddock, halibut, sole, and plaice. They typically have flattened or elongate body forms and cryptic coloration matching the seabed.

Atlantic cod, Common Monkfish, and halibut are demersal fish that spend most of their lives near the seafloor.