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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As filter feeders, sea pens rely on two main polyp types: autozooids, armed with nematocysts for capturing plankton and small particles, and siphonozooids, which draw water through the colony’s canal system to facilitate feeding and respiration.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
This is far from the prevailing view of flamingos being passive filter feeders.
—New Atlas, 15 May 2025
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
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Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
This is far from the prevailing view of flamingos being passive filter feeders.
—New Atlas, 15 May 2025
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
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 1 Jun. 2025.
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