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Design complex knot for bottom of the food chain? (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

plankton

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'bottom of the food chain?' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't understand how they can define each other.

'design complex knot' is the wordplay.
'design' becomes 'plan' (synonyms).
'complex' indicates an anagram.
'knot' is an anagram of 'kton'.
'plan'+'kton'='PLANKTON'

'for' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for plankton that I've seen before include "drifting masses" , "Drifters in the sea" , "Tiny organisms drifting in the sea" , "Tiny floating organisms" , "Drifting ocean organisms" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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