Suspension feeder
From Palaeos.org
| TROPHIC GROUP |
| Carnivore | Deposit feeder | Herbivore | Omnivore | Parasite | Scavenger | Suspension feeder |
<--- Picture goes here --->
[edit] Introduction
A Suspension Feeder or Filter Feeder is an animal (or even a protistan eukaryote - e..g a ciliate) that feeds by collect particulate matter or microorganisms from suspension in the water without need to subdue or dismember the particles. Food may include smaller swimming or floating organisms (nekton and plankton), microorganisms, dissolved organic colloidal molecules, organic detritus, living or dead smaller members of benthic flora and fauna, and/or rich organic grains. Especially among invertebrates, this is one of the most common trophic groups. While ciliate microorganisms, rotifers, brachiopods, and bivalves use beating cilia, cirra, or lophophore to sweep particles into their mouth, larger animals may have some sort of sieve to select small organisms from the water (e.g. whalebone in baleen whales)
| SUSPENSION FEEDER (= Filter feeder) |
| Epifaunal suspension feeder | Infaunal suspension feeder |
One might distinguish Filter feeders as a type of suspension feeder where small particles are removed from the water current by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized structure (the filter). More often in practice the two terms are usually synonymised.
[edit] Examples
Some animals that use this method of feeding are Porifera (sponges), Bryozoa, Rotifera, Brachiopoda, bivalves, Cirripedia (barnacles), Copepoda, crinoids and various Paleozoic sessile echinoderms, tunicates, whale sharks, the Jurassic Leedsichthyes, baleen whales, and, interestingly, flamingos.
[edit] Credits
MAK010508, Palaeos com MAK020519, Palaeos org MAK061101
