A feeding method where organisms strain small particles, plankton, or nutrients from water through specialized structures. Filter feeders include whales, clams, sponges, and many other aquatic animals.
Compound term combining 'filter' from Medieval Latin 'filtrum' (felt used for straining) and 'feeding' from Old English 'fedan'. The biological term emerged in the 19th century as scientists studied aquatic feeding mechanisms.
Blue whales, the largest animals ever to exist, survive entirely on filter-feeding tiny krill through their baleen plates! A single blue whale can filter up to 16,000 gallons of water per hour, showing how this simple feeding strategy can support massive body sizes.
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