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
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Over time, the ecological niche changed from filter feeders to carnivores, and the second pair of eyes may have evolved into a non-sensory neuroendocrine organ called the pineal gland, responsible for producing melatonin and regulating the sleep cycle.
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New Atlas, 16 Feb. 2026
Here’s why: oysters and other shellfish, like clams, are filter feeders.
—Abby Norman, Verywell Health, 27 Oct. 2025
Demosponges are soft and squishy filter feeders and their ancestors likely shared similar characteristics.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Working with colleagues, his group discovered that flamingos are far from the passive filter feeders they were long assumed to be.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for filter feeder
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New Atlas, 16 Feb. 2026
Here’s why: oysters and other shellfish, like clams, are filter feeders.
—Abby Norman, Verywell Health, 27 Oct. 2025
Demosponges are soft and squishy filter feeders and their ancestors likely shared similar characteristics.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Working with colleagues, his group discovered that flamingos are far from the passive filter feeders they were long assumed to be.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 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 Feb. 2026.
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