Glossary
The English version of our glossary is currently under construction and will be regularly updated.
Meiofauna
Refers to a group of small animals – as a rule, between 0.3 and 1 mm in diameter – that chiefly live in marine sediments but can also be found in terrestrial habitats. In terms of size, they lie between the microfauna and macrofauna.
The meiofauna are primarily small invertebrates like nematodes, tardigrades, rotifers, gastrotrichs and arthropods. Meiofauna found in terrestrial habitats include e.g. microarthropods like springtails, tardigrades and mites, nematodes and polychaetes. The meiofauna are an important component of the benthic ecosystem and play an important part in the conversion of organic material at the seafloor. They feed on bacteria, fungi, algae and other sources of organic material found in sediments, making them vital destruents in the ecosystem.