SEA TURTLE LIFE CYCLE – Diet

Photo Credit: Lisa Miceli

Each species of sea turtle specializes on a certain type of prey. While some species are omnivores, eating both plants and animals, other species are carnivores, eating strictly animals. What they eat depends on the niche that they live in.

As hatchlings, many species are omnivores, eating almost anything that can fit in their mouth, whether it is a plant or an animal. As they mature into adults, they become more specialized and begin to have favored delicacies. Since each species has a specialized diet, they also have a specialized jaw structure that is unique to the different sea turtle species.

DIET FACTS

Leatherbacks – A carnivore having a wide, rounded skull. The jaw ends in two pointed cusps (almost teeth like projections from jaw). These cusps allow for leatherbacks to latch onto their favorite gelatinous prey items, such as jellyfish, pyrosomes, and tunicates.
Greens – A herbivore, having rounded skulls with short snouts. The beak has a serrated plate, which is designed for grinding vegetation!
Loggerheads – A carnivore with a wide, V-shaped jaw that is thick and robust. This is great for crushing prey such as conch shells!
Hawksbills – A spongivore, having a narrow, V-shaped jaw with sharp cutting edges. This allows for easy access to small crevices on coral reefs to consume almost exclusively sponges. Hawksbills help to regulate sponge growth and keep coral reefs healthy!
Olive Ridleys – An omnivore with a triangular-shaped skulls with wide, curved, V-shaped jaws. The beak ends with a hook-like point, feeding on different plants, algae, crabs, shrimps, jellies, and fish.
Kemp’s Ridleys – A carnivore that has a similar jaw structure to olive ridleys. The hook-like point allows them to latch on and crack open blue crabs, their favorite!
Australian Flatbacks – An omnivore with a jaw structure similar to the olive ridleys, however the portion of the skull that encases the brain is more rounded, like a green sea turtle. This species is an omnivore and consumes sea cucumbers, jellies, molluscs, crabs, fish, and seaweed.