Filter feeder: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Filter feeders (also known as suspension feeders) are animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized structure, such as the baleen of baleen whales.

Filter feeding is one of the four major types of feeding. Some animals that use this method of feeding are clams, flamingos, and sponges.

Contrast with:

• Deposit feeders
• Fluid feeders
• Food-mass feeders