Water exits through the sides of the mouth. With long baleen plates and a huge mouth, right whales are adapted for straining immense amounts of food. Right whales usually feed singly, but a group of whales may corral prey by swimming and feeding through the water in a V-formation. Rorqual whales feed by gulping large concentrations of crustaceans and schooling fishes, allowing both water and food to enter the mouth. The rostrum is usually tilted upwards.
Rorqual whales feed by gulping large concentrations of crustaceans and schooling fishes.
Throat grooves expand from the water pressure inside, which causes the mouth cavity to balloon outward and maximizes the water and food capacity. See also grooves. The jaws are brought together and the throat grooves contract, forcing the water to drain out the sides of the mouth. Rorquals may feed at the surface or at some depth. They often roll on their sides while feeding.