Which animal filters food?

Many animals filter food! Here are some examples:

Filter feeders in the ocean:

* Whales: Baleen whales like humpback and blue whales have baleen plates in their mouths instead of teeth. They filter krill, plankton, and small fish from the water.

* Clams, mussels, and oysters: These bivalves use their gills to filter plankton and other small organisms from the water.

* Fish: Some fish, like herring and anchovies, have gill rakers that trap tiny organisms.

* Corals: Corals use tiny tentacles called polyps to capture plankton from the water.

* Sponge: Sponges are simple animals that filter food particles from the water flowing through their pores.

Filter feeders on land:

* Some insects: Some insects, like the larva of the caddisfly, use nets made of silk to filter food particles from the water.

* Earthworms: Earthworms eat soil, filtering out organic matter and decaying plant material.

This is just a small sample. Many other animals, from tiny crustaceans to giant manta rays, use filtering to obtain their food.