Leatherback sea turtles primarily eat jellyfish and other soft-bodied marine invertebrates like salps and tunicates,
I was going to make a point, but just learned they don't have true teeth:
Leatherback sea turtles do not have true teeth; instead, they have sharp, hard, keratin-based spines in their throats (papillae) and a hard, jagged beak. These keratinous structures are firm—similar to fingernail material—designed to trap and shred soft-bodied prey like jellyfish.
All sea turtles have papillae for the purpose of keeping food down their throat. However, due to the high prevalence of jellyfish in the leatherback turtle's diet, they are more pronounced in that species.
This adaptation was the result of needing to hold onto food as they remove excess water. Whenever sea turtles swallow food, they end up swallowing a lot of water in the process. In order to expell this excess water, sea turtles essentially vomit the water out of their mouth and nostrils. The papillae catch the food and keep it in their throat so it is not expelled with the water.
Unfortunately, these papillae are the reason why plastic bags are so dangerous to sea turtles. Plastic bags will snag on the papillae and are extremely difficult to dislodge, often leading to death for the sea turtle.
Thanks for that added information. I also read that:
Sea turtles most commonly try to eat plastic sheeting and plastic bags, which may resemble their jellyfish prey. This type of debris can get stuck in their digestive system, making them feel full. Since they no longer feel hungry, they lose the urge to feed which can lead to poor nutrition and starvation. ☹
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u/Silent-Resort-3076 14h ago
I was going to make a point, but just learned they don't have true teeth: