It allows the lower cells in the cable to perform cellular respiration by transferring electrons up the chain. This benefits the top cells in the chain by maki

It allows the lower cells in the cable to perform cellular respiration by transferring electrons up the chain. This benefits the top cells in the chain by making the mud less hospitable to competitors. So the bottom cells and top cells all win. There is a much better article here: https://web.archive.org/web/20250130131404/https://www.science.org/content/article/electric-mud-teems-new-mysterious-bacteria https://web.archive.org/web/20250130131404/https://www.scien...