scotophil
/ˈskɑtəfɪl/
noun
- An organism or substance that thrives or is active in darkness.
- The biologist studied scotophils that live in deep caves.
- Some fungi are scotophils, growing best in complete darkness.
- Certain bacteria are scotophils and cannot survive in sunlight.
adjective
- Preferring or thriving in darkness.
- The scotophil behavior of the insect helps it avoid daytime predators.
- Many scotophil species are active only at night.
- Scotophil plants often grow under thick forest canopies.