Describing organisms, especially sea creatures, that feed on seaweed or fucus.
From Latin fucus (seaweed) combined with -phagous (eating), from Greek phagein (to eat). The compound was formed in the 19th century as marine biology categorized feeding behaviors.
Sea urchins and some fish are fuciphagous specialists—they've evolved teeth and digestive systems perfectly designed to graze on rocky seabeds like underwater lawnmowers, and kelp forests depend on the balance between these seaweed-eaters and seaweed growth.
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