Digestive system of humpback whales Digestive system of humpback whales The digestive system of humpback whales ("Megaptera novaeangliae") is adapted to digest tiny crustaceans such as krill, plankton, and small fish (including herring and mackerel) which the whale filters from the ocean using its baleen, a sieve-like structure in the upper jaw. Humpback whales belong to the parvorder baleen whales, which are carnivorous, seasonal feeders. The baleen, a sieve-like structure in the upper jaw made of keratin, is used to filter plankton, among other food sources, from the water. Ventral grooves are expandable concave furrows that line a whale's throat and have the peculiarity of
Killer whales in popular culture and dolphins. They have been known to attack baleen whale calves, and even adult whales. Killer whales are apex predators, as there is no animal which preys on them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAaHUg0wSzo "Documentary in 2014". BAFTA.org. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved February 27, 2017. Killer whales in popular culture Killer whales have appeared in several movies and many documentaries. Creatures by the name of "orca" or "orc" have appeared throughout the history of Western literature. In Ludovico Ariosto's epic poem "Orlando Furioso", the "orca" (sometimes translated "orc") was a sea-monster from whom the damsel Angelica was rescued by Orlando.