filter feeding

British  

noun

1. zoology a method of feeding occurring in some aquatic animals, such as planktonic invertebrates and whalebone whales, in which minute food particles are filtered from the surrounding water

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Other Word Forms

• filter feeder noun

Example Sentences

Ciocan says that the reason behind this is because the shellfish are "ingesting the particles through filter feeding by mistakes," noting that this is a "stark reminder of the hidden dangers in our environment."

From Salon

"They provide habitat for many other marine animals, boost fish production, protect shorelines from stormy seas, and even clean the water with their filter feeding."

From Science Daily

These were each introduced to groups of 30 to 40 mosquito larvae, which took them up via filter feeding and passed them through their digestive systems.

From Science Daily

While the biological mantra had always been that gray whales feed only on bottom-dwelling organisms in the northern seas during the summer months — and fast for the rest of the year — reports came in of gray whales filter feeding and skimming krill off the surface, in places such as San Francisco Bay.

From Los Angeles Times

The findings, published today in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, reveal that the forward-facing denticles, small tooth-like structures, on the oral plates of heterostracans are not an adaption to filter feeding.

From Science Daily