filter feeding

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

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."

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"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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

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