Thanks to their filtering efficiency, they clean water making it more transparent and allowing algae to grow on greater depths. This process captures edible seston particles and rejects inedible particles, formed as in so-called pseudo-fecal matter. This contributes to clearing the water of suspended solids and reducing symptoms of eutrophication. A significant amount of fecal matter and pseudo-fecal matter falls to the bottom of the body of water where creates a trophically very rich environment. It is partially used as food by other benthic organisms.
