I wish I had contacts at the NY Aquarium, Mary! Will drop them a line, though.
Here's a breakdown on terms for marine organisms:
Pelagic: Living in the water column rather than on the sea floor
Planktonic Pelagic: organisms that float in the surface waters (not free-swimming)
Nektonic Pelagic: organisms that are free-swimming in the water column (any depth)
Benthic: On the sea-floor
Sessile Benthic: organisms that do not move around (unlike mobile benthos)
Infaunal: Live in sediment (i.e. under the water/sea-floor interface)
Epifaunal: Live on top of sediments of the sea-floor.
So benthic fishes is fine. Just means mobile bottom dwelling.
Tiger sharks seem to have had a rather special place in the sailors' demonology of sharks - not surprising, I guess, given that they are a potentially threatening species that they were likely to encounter in tropical waters. I'm fond of tigers - so attractive when young and their their stripes are distinct, then fading as they grow older and develop something akin to a pot belly. Have never been in the water with one (that I know of), but they're seen around some of the Coral Sea dive sites I'm hoping to get back to soon, so cross fingers. Don't know what on earth Lowe used the harpoon for - he never went whaling, and this is a seriously impressive bit of iron. Despatching sharks might be one use for it, or some seriously big pelagic fish.
He did skindive and spearfish, but I can't imagine lugging this thing with him. there's a good photo of him with large kingfish he caught that has been reproduced, but these were on a line (part of the line he used is still preserved). He did a lot of fishing, from handreels to seine netting. One amusing photo has him sitting out on the front lawn of his house with the day's lobster catch and a set of scales in front of him, with his curious pet dog and cat sitting fascinated on either side.
Fell in love with Monteray Bay Aquarium when we visited last year on our way down the coast from San Francisco to LA. They finally had to peel me away from where I was glued to the Outer Bay tank, mesmerised by an oceanic whitetip. Family and friends escorted me off, someone grasping an arm on either side. Just had word that my NASDS Advanced certification has been converted to PADI Advanced, so it looks like I'll be doing my 'Rescue Diver' certification with PADI.