infaunal
/ɪnˈfɔːnəl/
adjective
- Living or found within the sediment at the bottom of a body of water, such as the ocean or a lake.
- Infaunal species like clams and lugworms play a key role in recycling nutrients.
- Many infaunal worms burrow deep into the sand to avoid predators.
- The scientist studied infaunal communities living in the muddy seabed.
noun
- An organism that lives within the sediment at the bottom of a body of water.
- Researchers collected infaunal from the ocean floor using a special dredge.
- Each infaunal has adapted to survive in low-oxygen conditions underground.
- The infaunal in this estuary include various types of small crustaceans.