microfauna
noun
mi·cro·fau·na
ˌmī-krō-ˈfȯ-nə 
-ˈfä-
1
: minute animals
especially
: those invisible to the naked eye
the soil microfauna
2
: a small or strictly localized fauna (as of a microenvironment)
Examples of microfauna in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These trips serve as a window into a different world, one of microfauna that comes alive after dark.
—
Condé Nast Traveller,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Mar. 2025
Reefs in other isolated locations, such as the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Mozambique Canal, also are likely to have unique microfauna and microbiofauna.
—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA TODAY,
2 June 2023
The museum's exhibits also include some of the world's largest megafauna, thought to be 50,000 to 100,000 years old, and a variety of microfauna.
—
CNN,
17 July 2022
To get the award-winning shot, Weston used a 1970s microscope and created a saline solution to hold the microfauna.
—
Elizabeth Gamillo,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 Aug. 2021
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Condé Nast Traveller,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Mar. 2025
Reefs in other isolated locations, such as the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Mozambique Canal, also are likely to have unique microfauna and microbiofauna.
—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA TODAY,
2 June 2023
The museum's exhibits also include some of the world's largest megafauna, thought to be 50,000 to 100,000 years old, and a variety of microfauna.
—
CNN,
17 July 2022
To get the award-winning shot, Weston used a 1970s microscope and created a saline solution to hold the microfauna.
—
Elizabeth Gamillo,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 Aug. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Microfauna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microfauna. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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