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infauna

American  
[in-faw-nuh] / ˈɪnˌfɔ nə /

noun

Ecology.

PLURAL

infaunas, infaunae

  1. the aggregate of animals that burrow into and live in the bottom deposits of an ocean, river, or lake.

infauna Scientific  
/ ĭn′fô′nə /

  1. Benthic animals that live in the substrate of a body of water, especially in a soft sea bottom. Infauna usually construct tubes or burrows and are commonly found in deeper and subtidal waters. Clams, tubeworms, and burrowing crabs are infaunal animals.

  2. Compare epifauna

Other Word Forms

  • infaunal adjective

Etymology

Origin of infauna

First recorded in 1910–15; in- 1 + fauna

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Dead coral rocks are critical microhabitats for various benthic infauna, such as clams and worms.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.