The sponge contains secondary metabolites that are distasteful to predatory fish such as the blue-headed wrasse. When pieces of sponge become detached they may later reattach themselves to the substrate. The orange elephant ear sponge also reproduces asexually. The eggs are surrounded by a mass of nurse cells which may provide nutrients to the developing larvae. By all spawning at the same time, the sponges maximize their reproductive success. In CuraƧao, they usually choose an afternoon in the second half of July when the moon is in its fourth quarter. The orange elephant ear sponge is a hermaphrodite different individuals in a particular population synchronise their spawning activity. Oxygen and food particles are removed from the water as it passes through the sponge, and waste products are carried away. Water circulates through the sponge, entering through fine pores and leaving through the larger holes. Like other demosponges, the orange elephant ear sponge is a filter feeder.
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