@mbari_news: Replying to @iheartfishes87 Larvaceans, like this redhead larvacean (Mesochordaeus erythrocephalus), build mucous houses that function as elaborate feeding devices. The outer filter can be much bigger than the smaller animal that lives at its center. Larvaceans eat tiny particles of dead or drifting plants and animals that float through the water column. The larger filter traps particles that are too big for the animal to eat, while the smaller inner filter guides perfectly-sized food particles into the larvacean’s mouth. ⁠ ⁠ Eventually, the filters get clogged and the larvacean abandons them (we’re talking about days, not weeks or months). The sinking houses, packed with particles, provide an important source of food for animals living deeper in the water column and on the seafloor. ⁠ #DeepSea #OceanAnimals

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Saturday 19 April 2025 00:52:36 GMT