Tag: sensory biology
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Built-in Drum in the Head of the Armored Rockhead Poacher
Introduction: A Surprising Twist in a Weird-Looking Fish Marine biologists have long been intrigued by the armored rockhead poacher (Bothragonus swanii), a small, peculiarly plated fish that patrols rocky shores with a stoic, armored look. New findings suggest this scientific curiosity is more than skin deep; inside its head lies a deep, bowl-shaped hole that…
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The Greenland Shark Isn’t Blind: Eyes Adapt in Dark Arctic Waters
New insight into an ancient hunter The Greenland shark, a colossal Arctic resident and the longest-living vertebrate known to science, is renowned for surviving in some of the planet’s darkest, coldest waters. But a new wave of research is challenging the long-held image of this slow-moving predator as nearly blind in the deep blackness. Scientists…
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Seal Whiskers Detect Vortex Ring Size to Foil Fish Escapes
Sensing the Splash: whiskers as a directional sensor New research shows that harbour seals may read a fleeing fish’s evasive maneuvers not just by tracking wakes, but by sensing the size of spinning vortex rings generated by the fish’s jets. When a fish darts away, it can produce two jets in opposite directions, often creating…
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Seals’ whiskers may foil fish escapes by reading vortex rings
New findings: Seals’ whiskers detect vortex-ring cues in fish escapes In a surprising twist on the predator–prey chess game beneath the waves, a team from the University of Rostock has shown that harbour seals can pick out subtle differences in the size of vortex rings generated by escaping fish. Published in the Journal of Experimental…