![]() “Each time a sponge sneezes, there’s this whole resource that’s now available to these other organisms,” says Kornder. The team observed shrimp and other small crustaceans eating the mucus, and even some small fish looking as though they were interested in it. The mucus contained 45 per cent more carbon and nitrogen than other kinds of natural waste in the nearby water, suggesting it was nourishing. ![]() The remaining 19 per cent appeared to make good feeding material for other animals, says Kornder. The team’s analysis showed that trapped sediments made up 81 per cent of the weight of these mucus clumps, suggesting that sneezes probably help prevent the internal filters from getting clogged. Then, the sponge would contract and the stringy clumps of mucus would release into the water. ![]() At the surface, the mucus followed a network of “mucus highways” – white lines, probably made of collagen, intersecting at numerous junctions where the mucus would start to form globs. Each video showed particle-filled mucus travelling out of the ostia, against the direction of incoming water. ![]()
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