epifauna because they live on the bottom not within the sediments (infauna)
Benthos is a term for bottom-dwelling (i.e. on, in, or very near) organisms because they live on the seabed (what is known as the "benthic zone"). There are different classifications though: the epifauna live on the sea bottom and infauna live in the sediments on the sea bottom.
Terms used usually to describe the living condition of shell fish like the Molluscs and Brachipods. Infaunal meaning a shellfish, usually with a smooth shell, that burrows within sediment(burrower) Epifaunal meaning a shellfish usually spined that lives above the ground(non-burrower)
Clams
Benthic animals that lives on rocks, marine vegetation.
Aquatic animals that live in thesubstrateof a body of water.
Try "infauna"
Ilyanassa obsoleta is a mud snail that is conidered an epifaunal species.
The prefixes identify what subdivision the fauna falls into for a given place or region; for example avifauna refers to the birds; entomofauna are the insects; epifauna are the animals living on the surface of the seabed or a riverbed, or attached to submerged objects or aquatic animals or plants; ichthyofauna refers to the fish; infauna are the animals living in the sediments of the ocean floor or river or lake beds; megafauna, the large mammals of a particular region, habitat, or geological period; and microfauna are the microscopic animals of a microhabitat.
Sessile epifauna consists of organisms that attach themselves to a substrate and live on the surface of the seabed or other underwater structures. Examples include barnacles, mussels, and various types of sponges and corals. These organisms play an important role in the marine ecosystem by providing habitat for other species and helping to filter the surrounding water.
Some are and some aren't. Infauna just refers to animals that live in the sediments. If they extend feeding appendages out into the water to capture prey (like mud anemones for example) , then they're not deposit feeders. If they remove organic matter from the sediments, they're deposit feeders. Most benthic infauna are deposit feeders.
Terms used usually to describe the living condition of shell fish like the Molluscs and Brachipods. Infaunal meaning a shellfish, usually with a smooth shell, that burrows within sediment(burrower) Epifaunal meaning a shellfish usually spined that lives above the ground(non-burrower)