Upper Jaw Baleen Density Reflects Sei Whale Feeding Specialization

The fine fringes of a sei whale's baleen reveal what it eats.

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Baleen is made of keratin, the same protein found in human hair and fingernails.

Sei whales possess relatively fine baleen bristles suited for filtering small copepods and planktonic crustaceans from seawater.

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Baleen structure varies among rorquals depending on prey size, and the sei whale's filtering apparatus reflects its zooplankton-focused diet.

Detailed baleen analysis helps scientists infer feeding ecology even when direct observation is limited.

Source

National Marine Mammal Laboratory

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