Friday 27 April 2012

4th Sense

he forth sense is the electrosenses. Probably the most fascinating sensory performance of sharks is their ability to detect electrical fields. All living things emit electrical fields, either with the beat of the heart, muscle movement or with the brain. Animal prey can effectively hide or camouflage themselves, but they cannot conceal their electrical fields.
The shark's electrosensor are its Lorenzini ampoules. Only sharks or rays have them. They consist of the ampoule and a long canal filled with a jelly-like substance which ends in a pore. Hundreds of such pore groups are located on the shark's head, especially in the region of their snout. Since the electrical impulses of prey animals are very weak, the electrosensors only function within a range of several centimeters.

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