meiofauna That part of the microfauna which inhabits algae, rock fissures, and the superficial layers of the muddy sea-bottom. The term is often used synonymously with interstitial fauna. Compare macrofauna; mesofauna; and microfauna.

meiofauna That part of the microfauna which inhabits algae, rock fissures, and the superficial layers of the muddy sea-bottom. The term is often used synonymously with interstitial fauna. Compare MACROFAUNA; MESOFAUNA; MICROFAUNA.

meiofauna
1. (meiobenthic fauna) Animals inhabiting the bottom of a river, lake, or sea that are just visible to the naked eye; for example, small polychaetes, bivalves, and nematodes. They have dimensions in the range 0.1 to 1 mm, intermediate between microfauna and macrofauna.

2. See interstitial fauna.