Animals living on the surface of sea bottom sediments, usually associated with surface structures such as rocks, shells, vegetation, or colonies of other animals.
invertebrates that attach themselves to rocky reefs or to the seafloor. They include hydroids, sea-pens, small bryozoans and sponges.
Animals that live on the sediment but do not burrow into it.
Benthic organisms that live on top of the substrate that comprises the seafloor.
Animals living attached to the sea bottom or moving freely over it.
Animals that live on the surface of the substrate.
Those animals that live on the sea bottom (as opposed to those that burrow into the sediment, the «infauna».