Cristatella mucedo is a suspension feeder. Food particles are captured from feeding currents created by the ciliated tentacular crown (the lophophore) (Riisgård et al. 2009).
Food items are small components of the nannoplankton, especially single cells (< 7µm) with round shapes (Kamiński 1984).
Genetic and ecological evidence indicate a metapopulation ecology - populations are ephemeral, separated geographically, and linked by gene flow:
Cristatella mucedo colonies provide a home for numerous other species, but not all of them are welcome. Find out what happens when leeches, snails and midge larvae move in.