adjective
- of, relating to, or designating organisms that live on the surface of the seafloor or substrate
Usage: technical; biology; marine ecology
Examples
- Epifaunal organisms such as starfish and sea urchins crawl across the ocean bottom.
- The research team studied epifaunal communities in the shallow reef environment.
- Epifaunal species are more exposed to predators than their infaunal counterparts.
- Coral polyps are epifaunal animals that build reef structures.
- The epifaunal layer of the seafloor supports diverse invertebrate life.