Baleen whales are gigantic obligate filter feeders that exploit aggregations of small-bodied
prey in littoral, epipelagic, and mesopelagic ecosystems. At the extreme of maximum body …

Recent findings have greatly improved our understanding of mysticete oral filtration, and
have upended the traditional view of baleen filtration as a simple process. Flow tank …

The largest animals are marine filter feeders, but the underlying mechanism of their large
size remains unexplained. We measured feeding performance and prey quality to …

For many marine organisms, especially large whales that cannot be studied in laboratory
settings, our ability to obtain basic behavioral and physiological data is limited, because …

Body mass is a key life‐history trait in animals. Despite being the largest animals on the
planet, no method currently exists to estimate body mass of free‐living whales. We …

Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus quoyi) of the Southern Hemisphere were brought to
near extinction by twentieth century industrial whaling. For decades, they had all but …

Rorqual baleen whales lunge feed by engulfment of tons of prey-laden water in a large and
expandable buccal pouch. According to prior interpretations, feeding rorquals are brought to …

Analysing the physiological adaptations of marine mammals and seabirds, this book
provides a comprehensive overview of what allows these species to overcome the …

The giant rorqual whales are believed to have a massive food turnover driven by a high-
intake lunge feeding style aptly described as the world's largest biomechanical action. This …

Rorqual whales exhibit an extreme lunge filter-feeding strategy characterized by
acceleration to high speed and engulfment of a large volume of prey-laden water [1–4] …