▁food ▁from ▁the ▁water , ▁mainly ▁ph y top l ank ton ▁or ▁susp ended ▁organ ic ▁det rit us . ▁ ▁Re production ▁There ▁are ▁two ▁sex es . ▁The ▁s perm ▁and ▁eggs ▁are ▁released ▁into ▁the ▁water ▁column ▁by ▁the ▁adult s . ▁There ▁are ▁two ▁lar val ▁stages : ▁a ▁tro ch oph ore ▁stage ▁which ▁last s ▁around ▁ 2 4 ▁hours , ▁and ▁a ▁vel iger ▁stage ▁which ▁last s ▁for ▁some ▁weeks ▁before ▁they ▁achieve ▁compet ence ▁and ▁sett le ▁on ▁the ▁substr ate . ▁ ▁Col ony ▁form ▁In ▁war mer , ▁ ▁salt ier ▁regions ▁it ▁forms ▁dense ▁b eds ▁which , ▁exclude ▁other ▁sess ile ▁b ival ves ; ▁but ▁in ▁col der , ▁less ▁sal ine ▁regions , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁A ege an ▁Sea , ▁it ▁forms ▁smaller , ▁less ▁dens ely ▁populated ▁b eds . ▁ ▁Pred ators ▁A ▁species ▁of ▁wh el k , ▁Str am on ita ▁ha em ast oma , ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁prefer entially ▁pre y ▁on ▁B . ▁ph ara on is ▁off ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Israel ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁Italy . ▁ ▁In vas ive ▁impact ▁ ▁Econom ic ▁Bra ch id ont es ▁ph ara on is ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁fou ling ▁organ ism . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁recorded ▁colon ising ▁the ▁h ull s ▁of ▁boats ▁in ▁har b ours , ▁and ▁may ▁f oul ▁int ake ▁pip es . ▁ ▁E colog ical ▁Bra ch id ont