| Blue
whale baleen - the bristles. |
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Baleen plates
hang from the upper jaws of the whale, spaced 2 cms apart and at right angles
to the long axis of the jaw. The outer edge of each plate is smooth but
the inner edge becomes frayed into bristles that form a matted sieve.
The bristles
of the blue whale are very coarse, reflecting the fact that it feeds mainly
on large crustaceans, particularly krill.
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©Aberdeen
University/Martyn Gorman
Blue whale baleen - the bristles
|
| Martyn
Gorman · University of Aberdeen ·
Department of Zoology · © 2002 |
|
