Table of Contents
What type of feeding behavior does a gray whale have?
Gray whales suck sediment and food from the sea floor by rolling on their sides and swimming slowly along, filtering their food through 130 to 180 coarse baleen plates on each side of their upper jaw. In doing so, they often leave long trails of mud behind them and “feeding pits” on the seafloor.
What do gray whales feed on and how much food can they consume in a day?
Gray whales eat about 150,000 kg (340,000 lbs.) of food during a 130 to 140 day feeding period–a daily average intake of about 1,089 kg (2,400 lbs.). It is estimated to take 300 kg (660 lbs.) of food to fill a gray whale’s stomach.
Do gray whales filter feed?
Gray whales, a family of baleen whales, are bottom feeders. They suck sediment and small benthic crustaceans called amphipods from the sea floor. To do this, they slowly swim on their sides and filter their food through their baleen plates.
How does a gray whale feed?
Gray whales are the only baleen whales that are mainly bottom feeders, getting their food by scraping the side of their head along the ocean floor and scooping up sediment. Small invertebrates are captured on the baleen, while sediment and other particles are expelled through the baleen fringes.
Are gray whales bottom feeders?
Unlike most other whales, gray whales are bottom feeders. They scoop up mouthfuls of sediment to find small, buried crustaceans. Using their baleen they strain out the sediment and swallow the rest.
Are GREY whales bottom feeders?
Which whale is a bottom feeder?
humpback whales
The study, “Bottom side-roll feeding by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the southern Gulf of Maine, U.S.A,” was first published online in Marine Mammal Science in July 2013.
Where do whales feed?
Most whales, and in particular the baleen whales, feed on some of the smallest animals in the ocean. They feed on small plankton and krill which drift with the nutrient rich waters where the whales live. Not all whales feed on plankton however.
Do gray whales eat krill?
According to Lindberg, gray whales were once thought to feed only by suctioning seafloor sediment and filtering out worms and amphipods – so-called benthic organisms. But some whales are now eating herring and krill as well, just like their baleen whale relatives, which include the humpback and the blue.
How do whales find food?
The deep ocean is so dark that it is difficult for whales to locate prey by sight, so toothed whales use echolocation to find their prey. The whale emits a call, which bounces off the prey. The echoes help the whale navigate towards its food.
How do gray whales collect and eat such small organisms?
How do grey whales collect and eat such small organisms? They use cooperative behavior to corral prey into a group and then swallow their prey items whole. They emit high-pitched sounds that drive their prey items into tight masses. They use their countershading to sneak up on their prey items.
How do whales process food?
Baleen whales feed by filtering or straining food from the water. They love to eat krill, fish, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and algae. Some, such as the right whale, are called “skimmers”. These whales swim slowly with their huge mouths open to take in large amounts of water and food.
How do gray whales find their food?
During feeding, the gray whale appears to prefer using its right side to scour the bottom and find its food. This has been noted by several long time observers. To feed they gulp mouthfuls of mud from the bottom, then use the whiskery baleen as a filter to drain out the unwanted material.
How do bowhead whales feed?
Bowhead and right whales feed by skimming the ocean surface with their mouths open. They use the filter-like baleen structures in their mouths to catch food items such as small crustaceans or fish. Simulate their feeding by using the plastic pocket combs to represent baleen: Approach the first container of water with hole-punches.
Are gray whales carnivores or omnivores?
Yes, gray whales are carnivores as they eat fish, krill, squid, and other animals that live near the bottom of the ocean. Technically these whales are Omnivorous as they are can also consume some plants that are on the ocean floor when scooping up their food.
How do odontocete whales feed?
Odontocete whales do not have baleen. Instead they feed by directly biting their prey with hard, sharp teeth and strong, muscular jaws. Simulate their feeding by using pairs of chopsticks to represent their toothed jaws: Approach the fourth and final container with water and hole-punches.