electroreceptors
Detect bioelectric fields
Electroreceptors are sensory organs that detect electric fields in the environment.
Found in certain fish, sharks, rays, and some amphibians, they allow creatures to sense the weak electrical signals generated by other animals' muscle contractions—useful for hunting prey hidden in murky water or sand.
The platypus is among the few mammals with electroreceptors, located in its bill.
Large predatory fish
- raysLines from a source
- skatesWheeled or bladed footwear
- knifefishElongated electric freshwater fish
- paddlefishFish with oar-shaped nose
catfish · platypus · echidna · sturgeon · lamprey · coelacanth · lungfish · hammerhead
Determining position and course
- huntingPursuing wild game
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
- ocean currentsLarge-scale seawater movement
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
Study of neural function
- biomimeticsNature-inspired design field
- electrophysiologyBiology's electrical activity science
- roboticsAutomaton design field
- mine detectionLocating hidden explosives underground
sharks
Large predatory fish
paddlefish · catfish · platypus · echidna · sturgeon · lamprey · coelacanth · lungfish · hammerhead · sawfish
bioelectricity
Current in living tissue
- signal processingMathematical manipulation of waveforms
navigation
Determining position and course
- huntingPursuing wild game
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
- ocean currentsLarge-scale seawater movement
neurophysiology
Study of neural function
- biomimeticsNature-inspired design field
- electrophysiologyBiology's electrical activity science
- roboticsAutomaton design field
electroreceptorsphotoreceptors
Cells sensing light
mechanoreceptors · chemoreceptors · taste receptors · eyes · proprioceptors