macrofaunan.
/ˌmakrəʊˈfɔːnə/, U.S. /ˈˌmækroʊˈfɔnə/, /ˈˌmækroʊˈfɑnə/ Biology.
With plural agreement: animals of the largest size category; esp. benthic or soil animals which are at least several centimetres in length, such as vertebrates and large invertebrates; spec. those of a particular habitat, region, etc. Also (with singular agreement): a group, class, community, or list of such animals. Cf. microfauna n. 1.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > by habitat > [noun] > of a particular region (fauna) > of particular type
ophiology1815
inquiline1879
pilgrim1888
microfauna1895
topomorph1897
faunule1909
cryptozoa1911
epifauna1914
macrofauna1918
megafauna1927
macrobenthos1942
meiobenthos1942
microbenthos1942
meiofauna1950
megafauna1975
1918 Trans. Wisconsin Acad. Sci., Arts & Lett. 19 443 Insects compose about 60% of the macrofauna of the lake, excluding fish.
1947 Jrnl. Animal Ecol. 16 76/2 Finally, there is the [soil] macrofauna consisting largely of vertebrates such as toads, lizards, snakes, rodents, moles, etc.
1972 Proc. Royal Soc. B. 180 482 The relation of such micro-faunal species to the meio- and macro-faunas..is unknown.
1996 Ecology 77 2474/1 After 3 wk the smothered sediment was completely devoid of macrofauna, although large polychaete tubes and other biogenic features remained intact.
Derivatives
macroˈfaunal adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > by habitat > [adjective] > relating to fauna
faunal1877
faunistic1881
macrofaunal1974
1974 J. F. Grassle in O. A. Jones & R. Endean Biol. & Geol. Coral Reefs II. viii. 263 Approximately two-thirds of the macrofaunal animals removed from the coral were polychaetes.
1991 R. S. K. Barnes & K. H. Mann Fund. Aquatic Ecol. (ed. 2) xi. 224/1 High macrofaunal diversity, typical of coral reefs, may result partly from topographical complexity and partly from climatic stability.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2000; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1918