Feeding Mechanisms of Some Animals

Topic Content:

The mammalian digestive system shows the highest degree of modification according to feeding habits. The different categories of feeding habits are:

1. Filter feeding
2. Fluid feeding
3. Deposit feeders
4. Insect feeders
5. Parasitic feeders
6. Saprophytic feeders

Filter Feeding:

This form of feeding occurs in some aquatic organisms. The organisms allow the current of water to flow through a part of their body so that food particles are trapped and strained while unwanted materials are filtered out. An example is certain types of whales which have comblike baleens, instead of teeth, on their upper jaws, that filter small fishes and other organisms from water.

Another example is the Flamengo which has a straining device in its gills to separate food particles in muddy waters.

Other examples of filter feeders include sponges, oysters, and mosquito larvae.

Filter Feeding in Mosquito Larvae:

The mouth of a mosquito larva has horny jaws and two small ciliated appendages or mouth brushes adapted for feeding. The continuous revolving movement of these brushes sweeps water containing microscopic organisms into its mouth. The small