Though it possessed some meager nutritional value for both Laikeer's native sentients, the Laatls, and various insentient underwater herbivores, the quorbl weed's true value to the Laatls was as a breathing aid. The quorbl weed had the ability to retain enormous amounts of water for its size, achieving nearly completely saturation when it was soaked. Laatls would wrap a stretch of quorbl weed several times around their throats before venturing out of the water; the water-soaked weed around their gills made breathing open air comfortable, and the fluid density of the weed was such that Laatls could spend up to half a day in dry air before the weed dried out and needed to be soaked again.