Why do some whales have baleen teeth?

Whales do not have teeth; instead, some species have baleen plates. Baleen plates are made of keratin, the same material as human hair and fingernails. They hang from the upper jaw of the whale and are used to filter food from the water.

The baleen plates of a whale are arranged in a series of parallel rows. The outer edges of the plates are fringed with long, hair-like bristles. When the whale opens its mouth, the water flows in and the bristles trap the food particles. The whale then closes its mouth and the water is forced out through the baleen plates, leaving the food behind.

Baleen whales feed on a variety of small organisms, including plankton, krill, and small fish. They use their baleen plates to filter these organisms from the water.

The largest baleen whale is the blue whale, which can grow up to 100 feet long and weigh up to 200 tons. The blue whale has about 300 baleen plates, each of which can be up to 12 feet long.

Baleen whales are found in all the world's oceans. They are an important part of the marine ecosystem, as they help to keep the oceans clean and healthy.