This is a method of finding food that occurs in water, usually practised by invertebrates. Using specialised structures, these organisms strain the water to catch and collect the tiny particles that are found in it. Many of these particles are tiny organisms such as bacteria, single-celled algae and the larvae of other invertebrates. The particles also include tiny fragments of decaying bodies! Filter feeders simply sit there and wave their collecting structures through the water; the particles stick to the structures and are gathered together to be ingested. Coral and crinoids are good examples of filter feeders.

An animal that feeds off tiny food suspended in the water.

An organism that feeds by passing water through its body and filtering out the edible plant and animal matter. Examples include mollusks such as clams and oysters and many species of fish and birds.

An organism that filters food particles from the surrounding fluid.

An organism which filters food from the environment via a straining mechanism (such as gills)(i.e. barnacle)

an animal that strains small particles of food from the water (i.e., a whale shark feeding on plankton).

an organism that strains food particles from the water by using either a net-like structure or a pumping action.

an animal that strains food particles from water

an animal that strains food particles fromwater

an animal that filters or screens water flowing through or around its body to capture suspended food.

An organism that obtains food by filtering small particles from relatively large volumes of water.

Animal that eats small organisms in an aquatic environment. 751

Organism that strains water to capture small food particles

An animal that collects food particles which are suspended in the water by actively creating a current through its body or using body parts as a sieve. For more details.

A fish that feeds by filtering plankton from the water.

The way that baleen whales strain their food from the water through their baleen plates.

An organism that feeds on microscopic food by filtering very large volumes of water. Because of the amount of water filtered, these organisms may tend to concentrate toxins. Filter feeders that live on bottom sediments (e.g., clams and oysters) are particularly susceptible to contamination.

Filter feeders are animals that eat by sieving through lots of sea water and straining out tiny bits of nourishment. Baleen whales are filter feeders, obtaining krill by sieving water through their baleen. Some filter feeders are skimmers (feeding as they swim), some are gulpers (taking occasional gulps).

An organism that filters out nutrients such as plankton, bacteria, or detritus from the water.

An animal that eats by filtering or straining small particles of food from the water.

Filter feeders are animals that eat by sieving through lots of sea water and straining out tiny bits of nourishment. The Whale shark, Basking shark, and Megamouth shark are filter feeders, obtaining plankton by sieving water through their gill slits.

organisms that obtain their food by filtering the water; e.g. clams, scallops.

Filter feeders (also known as suspension feeders) are animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized structure, such as the baleen of baleen whales. Filter feeding is one of the four major types of feeding. Some animals that use this method of feeding are clams, krill, flamingos, sponges and whale sharks.