infaunische
Infaunische, or infaunal, describes organisms that spend all or part of their life cycle within the substrate of a sediment or soil, rather than on its surface. The term is widely used in marine ecology and soil biology to characterize animals living inside the seabed, river sediments, or terrestrial soils. In German usage, infaunisch is the related adjective.
Infauna inhabit burrows, tubes, or cavities within the sediment (endobenthic). In marine environments they include polychaete
Ecologically, infauna perform bioturbation—the reworking of sediment through movement and feeding. This activity aerates sediments, enhances
Terminology distinguishes infauna from epifauna (organisms living on the surface) and from meiofauna (very small organisms
Because of their roles in biogeochemical processes and their sensitivity to disturbance, infaunal communities serve as