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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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.
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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
Fine sediments could clog respiratory structures in fish and feeding structures of filter feeders.
—Alexus Cazares-Nuesser, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
As previously reported, the largest shark alive today, reaching up to 20 meters long, is the whale shark, a sedate filter feeder.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 9 Mar. 2025
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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
Fine sediments could clog respiratory structures in fish and feeding structures of filter feeders.
—Alexus Cazares-Nuesser, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2025
As previously reported, the largest shark alive today, reaching up to 20 meters long, is the whale shark, a sedate filter feeder.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 9 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 5 May. 2025.
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