Whale
As Barten is called by the upper jaw of a baleen instead of teeth hanging horny plates . With the help of the mostly finely feathered whales, whales strain (filter) plankton such as krill from the sea water. To do this, the whale absorbs a large amount of water, which in the furrowed whales is made easier by an extremely elastic throat pouch . After that, he closes his jaw and pushes the water with his tongue through the beards to the outside. The small animals contained in the water are held back by the beards as if by a filter and can thus be swallowed by the whale without any problems.
Beards were used under the name " whalebone " until the early 20th century, among other things, as a form of corset .
- Picture gallery
Detail shot
Beards of the blue whale
Filter mechanism of baleen whales; Cross-section through the jaw perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body
Beards of the gray whale ( Eschrichtius robustus )
Fin whale whale ( Balaenoptera physalus ) in the Stralsund Marine Museum
Whale's whiskers
See also
- Barbels ( sense organs of some fish species )
