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What is electroreception in fish?

What is electroreception in fish?

electroreception, the ability to detect weak naturally occurring electrostatic fields in the environment. Electroreception is found in a number of vertebrate species, including the members of two distinct lineages of teleosts (a group of ray-finned fishes) and monotremes (egg-laying mammals).

What fishes can benefit from electroreception?

The electroreceptive organ of cartilaginous fishes and nonteleost bony fishes – lungfishes, coelacanths, bichirs, reedfishes, sturgeons, and paddlefishes – is the ampullary organ, often called the ampullae of Lorenzini.

Do catfish have ampullae of Lorenzini?

The electroreceptive sense organs, sensitive to weak electric fields, consist of either ampullary organs (first identified as Ampullae of Lorenzini) found in some teleost fish such as catfish and sturgeons (Bone and Moore, 2008; Hofmann, 2011; Jørgensen, 2011) and tuberous organs (Fig.

Why is electroreception in sharks?

Sharks are literally wired for hunting. The finned predators of the high seas are equipped with a special sense called electroreception that allows them to home in on prey with deadly accuracy.

Is electroreception possible for humans?

Do humans possess this sense? It is unlikely, and to date, there is not much credible evidence that we do. For one thing, all known electroreceptive species are aquatic. Electricity is conducted by water, but is only poorly conducted, if at all, by air.

Does electroreception only work in water?

The capabilities are found almost exclusively in aquatic or amphibious animals, since water is a much better conductor of electricity than air. In passive electrolocation, objects such as prey are detected by sensing the electric fields they create.

How do animals use electroreception?

Electroreceptive animals use the sense to locate objects around them. This is important in ecological niches where the animal cannot depend on vision: for example in caves, in murky water and at night.

What fish has Lorenzini ampullae?

Ampullae of Lorenzini are present in cartilaginous fishes (sharks, rays, and chimaeras), lungfishes, bichirs, coelacanths, sturgeons, paddlefishes, aquatic salamanders, and caecilians.

Do bony fish have electroreception?

Electroreception. Some bony fishes in the families Electrophoridae, Gymnotidae, and Mormyridae produce a low-voltage electric current that sets up a field around the fish. Tiny skin organs on the fish detect disruptions in the electric field that are caused by prey or inanimate objects.

Do all sharks use electroreception?

Sharks and rays (Elasmobranchii) rely on electrolocation using their ampullae of Lorenzini in the final stages of their attacks, as can be demonstrated by the robust feeding response elicited by electric fields similar to those of their prey.

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