Abstract
Larvae of the mayfly Ametropus neavei have a unique method of suspension feeding that uses hydrodynamic properties of vortices and pits in the sediment to facilitate capture of fine particles from flowing water. Modified setae on the forelegs function both as “aerosol” filters and in initiating formation of a vortex that spirals within a specially constructed pit. The vortex concentrates seston and transports it to filtering devices below the surface of the sediments. We suggest that vortex feeding allows Ametropus larvae to occupy noncohesive sands of rivers—areas that offer no solid substrate for attachment and are devoid of other suspension feeders.
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