filter feeder
noun
: an animal (such as a clam or baleen whale) that obtains its food by filtering organic matter or minute organisms from a current of water that passes through some part of its system
Examples of filter feeder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As filter feeders, mole crabs are considered important indicators of environmental health and quality, according to researchers.
—
Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
Despite their immense size, these gentle giants are filter feeders, primarily consuming plankton, small fish, and other tiny organisms by swimming with their mouths open to filter food from the water.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
According to the Food and Drug Administration, filter feeders such as clams and other bivalve mollusks like oysters and mussels have the potential to accumulate more contaminants in their systems than other seafood types.
—Christina Manian, Health, 23 Apr. 2025
The humpback, a filter feeder living off krill and small fish, didn't appear interested in eating the kayaker, so the man escaped the animal's mouth without struggling.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
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Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
Despite their immense size, these gentle giants are filter feeders, primarily consuming plankton, small fish, and other tiny organisms by swimming with their mouths open to filter food from the water.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
According to the Food and Drug Administration, filter feeders such as clams and other bivalve mollusks like oysters and mussels have the potential to accumulate more contaminants in their systems than other seafood types.
—Christina Manian, Health, 23 Apr. 2025
The humpback, a filter feeder living off krill and small fish, didn't appear interested in eating the kayaker, so the man escaped the animal's mouth without struggling.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for filter feeder
Cite this Entry
“Filter feeder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filter%20feeder. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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