Electroreception

Electroreception, sometimes written as electroception, is the biological ability to receive and make use of electrical impulses.

Many fishhave an electroception sense, believed to be associated with the lateral linesystem.

Sharksapparently have an electroception sense that works through receptors (like hair pores) on their snouts which allow them to sense electrical fields in the water; a problem with the early submarine telegraph cableswas the damage by sharks that sensed the electrical pulses.

The electric eel, besides its ability to generate high voltageelectric shocks, actually uses lower voltage pulses for navigation and sensing prey in the turbid waters in which it lives. Other gymnotiformfish also have the capability.

Monotremesare the only known mammals that possess the ability of electroception. The platypusis known to have the most acute sense.

Links Senses

External link

• ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroreception Wikipedia article Electroreception.