nounWord forms: pluralˌepiˈfaunas or ˌepiˈfaunae (ˌɛpɪˈfɔni)
the animals living on the surface of marine or freshwater sediments
see also infauna
Examples of 'epifauna' in a sentence
epifauna
Patterns of similarity of sessile sclerobionts and motile epifauna were clearly different.
Lotfi Rabaoui, Sabiha Tlig-Zouari, Andrea Cosentino, Oum Kalthoum Ben Hassine 2009, 'Associated fauna of the fan shell Pinna nobilis (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in thenorthern and eastern Tunisian coasts', Scientia Marinahttp://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/1048. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
This situation permits the occurrence of that epifauna.
Luiz Roberto Tommasi 1970, 'Observações sôbre a fauna bêntica do complexo estuarino-lagunar de Cananéia (SP)',Brazilian Journal of Oceanographyhttp://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-87591970000100003. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
The study was focused on leaf epiphytes and epifauna.
R. BEDINI, M.G. CANALI, M. BERTUCCELLI 2003, 'Epiphytic Communities On Posidonia Oceanica (L.) Delile Leaves Along The North TyrrhenianCoasts (N.W. Mediterranean Sea, Italy)', Mediterranean Marine Sciencehttps://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/12205. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Densities of epifauna ranged from 502.9 to 2706.6 ind.20 ml-1 as algae volume.
Rita R. Curvelo, Thais N. Corbisier 2000, 'The meiofauna asssociated whith Sargassum cymosum at Lázaro Beach, Ubatuba, São Paulo',Brazilian Journal of Oceanographyhttp://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-87592000000200003. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Our results reflect that amphipods accounted for more than 80% of the epifauna associated with farms fouling communities.
V. FERNANDEZ-GONZALEZ, P. SANCHEZ-JEREZ 2017, 'Fouling assemblages associated with off-coast aquaculture facilities: an overall assessmentof the Mediterranean Sea', Mediterranean Marine Sciencehttps://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/13465. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
This characteristic epifauna was defined by seven amphipod species well-adapted to colonise and survive in these off-coast habitats.
V. FERNANDEZ-GONZALEZ, P. SANCHEZ-JEREZ 2017, 'Fouling assemblages associated with off-coast aquaculture facilities: an overall assessmentof the Mediterranean Sea', Mediterranean Marine Sciencehttps://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/13465. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
Gastropod shells occupied by hermit crabs are an important attachment substrate for epifauna, and these shells are often damaged.
Luciane Ayres-Peres, Fernando L. Mantelatto 2010, 'Epibiont occurrence on gastropod shells used by the hermit crab Loxopagurus loxochelis(Anomura: Diogenidae) on the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil', Zoologia (Curitiba)http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-46702010000200010. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)