Body Length, Filter Time, and Lunges per Dive for Four Whale Species

Whale species Typical adult body length (meters) Average time to filter all engulfed water (seconds) Average number of lunges per dive deeper than 50 meters

fin 18–22 31.30 3.95

humpback 11–17 17.12 6.28

minke 7–10 8.88 7.48

blue 24–34 60.27 4.02

Some whale species practice lunge feeding, in which they lunge toward prey with their mouths open at wide angles, collect the prey and the surrounding water, and then filter out the water through baleen plates in their mouths. Although the volume of water engulfed increases with whale body length, the surface area of whales' baleen plates, which influences the rate at which water can be filtered, does not increase with body length to the same degree, which helps explain why ______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?

Question

Body Length, Filter Time, and Lunges per Dive for Four Whale Species
Whale species	Typical adult body length (meters)	Average time to filter all engulfed water (seconds)	Average number of lunges per dive deeper than 50 meters
fin	18–22	31.30	3.95
humpback	11–17	17.12	6.28
minke	7–10	8.88	7.48
blue	24–34	60.27	4.02

Accepted Answer

fin whales show a longer average filter time than minke whales do.

Answer

minke whales and humpback whales show similar average filter times.

Answer

humpback whales show an average of 6.28 lunges per dive.

Answer

blue whales show the longest average filter time and the highest average number of lunges per dive.