From Latin detritus "decay; product of decay" + Greek φάγος "devourer.

Detritivore are hydrobionts: using detritus for food together with the microorganisms it contains. They are an important link in the cycle of substances in wildlife, increasing the availability of organic matter for bacteria. In ecosystems they play a role of consumers. Detritivores differ from other consumptives in that they do not reduce the production of their resources. Detritivores are opposed to predators, but these types of food are often not mutually exclusive in the same species.

Water detritivore include:

Bivalves

Rotifers

Polychaete worms

Planktonic crustaceans

Echiurids

Siliquaria australis

Vampyroteuthis infernalis