How do crabeater seals filter krill from seawater?

It is a common misconception that the crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus) feeds on crabs; despite its name, this seal subsists almost exclusively on krill.12

Crabeater seals filter krill from seawater using their highly specialized teeth. These teeth are elaborately cusped and designed to interlock, creating a sieve-like mechanism that allows the seal to strain its food from the water as it feeds. This method of food procurement is a form of filter feeding, a process more commonly associated with invertebrates or baleen whales, though the crabeater seal utilizes its unique dental structure rather than baleen plates to trap its prey.13