Meiobenthos

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Sludge tube worms Tubifex sp. (Oligochaeta, Tubificidae) on the bottom of the water

For meiobenthos include invertebrate creatures of the benthic meiofauna in and around the bottom of the seas and inland waters with a body length of between about 0.063 mm and 1 mm. Smaller organisms belong to microbenthos , larger ones to macrobenthos .
Introduced into the scientific literature by MF Mare in 1942, "Meiobenthos" is simply a descriptive, not a systematic-taxonomic term that defines a group of organisms solely on the basis of their size.
No special demands are made on the ecological conditions, so the meiobenthic organisms are found in different habitats ( biotopes ). Sandy bottom is settled, here in particular the sand gap system , as well as the muddy water floor and solid substrate of all deep regions between the Litoral and Hadal . Meiobenthos can also be found on larger sessile animals and plants.

Important taxonomic groups of meiobenthos are:

literature

  • Mare, MF (1942): A study of a marine benthic community with special reference to the micro-organisms . Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 25: 517-554.