Suspension feeding in Copepoda (Crustacea) – a numerical model of setae acting in concert

Suspension feeding via setae collecting particles is common within Crustacea. Even though the mechanisms behind it and the structures themselves have been studied for decades, the interplay between the different setae types and the parameters contributing to their particle collecting capacities remain partly enigmatic. Here, we provide a numerical modeling approach to understand the relationship among the mechanical property gradients, the mechanical behavior and the adhesion of setae, and the feeding efficiency of the system. In this context, we set-up a simple dynamic numerical model that takes all of these parameters into account and describes the interaction with food particles and their delivery into the mouth opening. By altering the parameters, it was unraveled that the system performs best when the long and short setae have different mechanical properties and different degrees of adhesion since the long setae generate the feeding current and the short ones establish the contact with the particle. This protocol can be applied to any system in the future as the parameters (i.e., properties and arrangement of particles and setae) can be easily altered. This will shed light on the biomechanical adaptations of these structures to suspension feeding and provide inspiration for biomimetics in the field of filtration technologies.