Separation by filtration – Did you know?

The basking shark feeds by swimming with its mouth open, using gill rakers to filter plankton from the water. After trapping the plankton, the shark closes its mouth, expels the water through its gills, and swallows the plankton.

How does the basking shark obtain its food?

What special structures in the basking shark's mouth help filter food?

What type of organisms does the basking shark primarily trap while filtering water?

What happens to the water after the basking shark filters it?

What is the process by which the basking shark consumes plankton?