Do humpback whales eat phytoplankton?

DIET AND BALEEN Humpback whales (like all baleen whales) are seasonal feeders and carnivores that filter feed tiny crustaceans (krill – mainly Euphausia superba, copepods, etc.), plankton, and small fish (including herring, mackerel, capelin, and sandeel) from the water.

Do blue whales eat phytoplankton?

While their diet consists mainly of tiny phytoplankton and some zooplankton, these animals are vital to the ocean’s ecosystem as they feed a wide range of oceanic animals.

Do whales help phytoplankton?

Through the very process of swimming and diving as well as excreting faeces, whales increase the level of nutrients on the ocean surface, notably iron and nitrogen, which in turn boosts the growth of phytoplankton and marine plants that generate energy through photosynthesis, and in the process remove carbon from the …

What whale feeds on plankton?

Food Preferences and Resources Right whales eat zooplankton (animal plankton). Their finely fringed baleen is able to strain from the water copepods (a type of small crustacean) and other small zooplankton.

Do toothed whales compete for mates?

do toothed whales compete for mates. Toothed whales are known to be active hunters and can sometimes eat larger forms of prey than baleen whales. Toothed whales will compete with each other for food. When out at sea, whales dive out of the reach of surface-hunting killer whales.

Do orcas eat plankton?

Whale diets As it turns out, most whales don’t eat large prey. 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 whales produce phytoplankton?

Whale excrement fertilizes the ocean, producing large phytoplankton blooms that absorb enormous amounts of carbon dioxide. Scientists point out that helping whale populations recover from past overharvesting can help reduce greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.

Are whales good for the environment?

Whales play an amazing role in an ecosystem that keeps every creature on Earth alive, including you! Whales play a vital role in the marine ecosystem where they help provide at least half of the oxygen you breathe, combat climate change, and sustain fish stocks.

How much phytoplankton do whales eat?

An average-sized blue whale will eat 2,000-9,000 pounds (900-4100 kg) of plankton each day during the summer feeding season in cold, arctic waters ( about 120 days).

Do starfish eat phytoplankton?

Starfish can be primary or secondary consumers. This means that they may feed on algae, phytoplankton, or the small critters that eat them. Starfish are most likely to go after prey that cannot defend itself. Clams, mussels, oysters and other shellfish are the favorite food of most species.

Do ducks eat phytoplankton?

Feed primarily on algae. Feed on bacteria, diatoms, other one-celled plankton.

What do whales eat other than plankton?

Baleen whales tend to eat small manageable prey since they swallow their food whole and consume large quantities of small prey: Fish Krill Squid Octopus Larve Small crabs Various crustaceans Various benthic animals

What type of plankton do whales eat?

Right whales primarily feed upon zooplankton, a type of plankton consisting of mostly microscopic live animals. These include tiny crustaceans such as copepods and krill; pteropoda; free-swimming sea slugs and sea snails; and cyprid, which are the mobile larvae of barnacles.

How much plankton does a whale eat in a day?

The whales that feed on krill eat a lot of it; most consume about 4 percent of their body weight daily in krill and plankton during a four to six month summer feeding frenzy before they travel and breed. A single blue whale, for example, eats up to a staggering 8,000 pounds of krill every day for a four-month period.

Do killer whales eat plankton?

Researchers have even documented instances of killer whales going after blue whales, the largest mammals on Earth. Baleen whales are filter feeders that eat things like plankton, copepods , small fish, and krill . They filter their food through a comb-like structure known as baleen.