What a sea turtle consumes will depend on both its species and habitat. Loggerheads are carnivores, feasting on crabs, conches and whelks while hawksbills specialize in sponge feedings while olive ridleys are omnivores who feed on both animals and plants.
Green turtles are predominantly herbivorous animals that feed on sea grasses, algae and moss; occasionally they will also consume jellyfish.
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Crabs
Sea turtles can dive deep into the ocean to feed on jellyfish, mollusks and other invertebrates such as crustaceans. They also eat crabs and marine plants. Sea turtles’ carapaces feature seven prominent ridges which reduce drag while swimming; their flippers can act as both paddles and rudders to power forward movement.
Although sea turtles have diverse diets, all begin as herbivores as hatchlings. Green turtles primarily feed upon fish eggs, mollusks and sea grass as hatchlings; as adults their diet gradually expands into more diverse foods including algae, coral and other forms of seaweeds that their specialized jaws can crush or tear apart.
Sea turtles rely heavily on their sense of smell to locate food sources in murky or dark waters, along with vision and swimming speed to do so. A strong scent sense, combined with vision and swimming speed may allow sea turtles to quickly locate prey items that escape detection by their competitors.
Jellyfish
Turtles consuming jellyfish may or may not consume jellyfish that contains nematocysts, cells that inject venom. Some species such as mushroom or cannonball jellyfish have tentacles with barbs on them which can penetrate skin easily and deliver more severe stings than most jellies.
Historically, adult sea turtles were hunted for both their meat and shells – their shells being used to craft tortoiseshell jewelry and combs while their flesh became popular delicacies. Today however, loggerhead and olive ridley turtle eggs are frequently hunted commercially to supply egg markets around the world.
Hawksbill sea turtles consume not only jellyfish but also sponges, corals, sea cucumbers, shrimp, urchins and algae as their food source. Loggerheads consume the widest array of prey including crabs, fish, mollusks and algae while leatherbacks specialize in eating only jellyfish; taking part in deeper dives than any other sea turtle species with their sleek shell design helping them sink faster while their long flippers provide power through the water.
Mollusks
Flatback sea turtles feed on jellyfish, mollusks, cuttlefish shrimp fish soft corals and seagrass; their unique diet includes jellyfish. Furthermore, most of their lives are spent in shallow coastal waters.
Loggerhead sea turtles boast one of the widest diets of any sea turtle species and consume an array of animals, plants and algae species. Their large skulls allow them to crack open hard-shelled creatures such as crabs, conchs, whelks and horseshoe crabs, while they also consume algae, fish, urchins jellyfish seaweed as food sources.
Green sea turtle hatchlings are omnivorous, feeding on an assortment of prey. When adults arrive they tend to favor sea grasses and algae. Their serrated beaks feature fine edges which cut through seaweed easily while scraping it from rocks. Hawksbill and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles also feed on both plants and animals while leatherbacks specialize exclusively in gelatinivory by eating jellyfish; leatherbacks have large stores of oxygen stored up inside their bodies that enable them to dive for them longer than other turtles can.
Seaweed
Sea turtles spend the vast majority of their lives submerged underwater; only hatchlings and nesting females come ashore periodically to molt. Thus, scientists remain unaware of what occurs during what are known as their “lost years.”
Sargassum mats that drift with currents provide ideal habitats for juvenile and adult turtles alike, providing food, protection from predators and metabolic stimulation as they feed and grow.
Scientists do not fully comprehend why leatherback turtles dive so deep, but a 2008 study suggested they may serve as reconnaissance missions. Leatherbacks could potentially be searching for jellyfish that migrate from deeper oceans during the day and provide a delicious prey item for these long-distance swimmers. Their carapace is designed for deep diving with seven prominent ridges acting like keels to reduce drag while their large front flippers serve as paddles while back flippers act as rudders to help steer.
