What mechanical process do zebra sharks use, in conjunction with their small mouth, to capture prey?
Answer
Creating negative pressure to suck the prey item into their mouths.
The feeding strategy of the zebra shark relies not on biting and tearing large meals but on mechanical suction. They possess a relatively small mouth opening coupled with powerful muscles associated with the gills. By rapidly expanding the buccal cavity, they generate negative pressure, essentially creating a vacuum that pulls the prey item—often straight out of its hiding spot or shell—into the mouth. This suction feeding technique is highly effective for securing small, hard-to-reach benthic organisms like snails and shrimp, showcasing an adaptation prioritizing precision and efficient ingestion over brute force tearing.
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