infauna

American

[in-faw-nuh] / ˈɪnˌfɔ nə /

noun

Ecology.

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

infauna Scientific

/ ĭn′fô′nə /

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.
Compare epifauna

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

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infauna

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

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2023

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