cryptozoic en · ADJ
Etymology
From crypto- + -zoic.
Meanings
- (not-comparable) Living in a cavity or small cave.
-
(not-comparable, of an organism, qualifier:chiefly soil science) Hidden (especially in the soil); not easily visible.
The arthropods of the forest biome can be divided into two ecological groups: the cryptozoic inhabitants of the soil and leaf litter, and the terrestrial and arboreal forms that live in more exposed localities.
2012, John L. Cloudsley-Thompson, Evolution and Adaptation of Terrestrial Arthropods, page 85:
- (not-comparable) Relating to a cryptozoite.