Elephant-nosed fish do a little dance to help them “see” in 3D
Electrical pulses give some fish the ability to identify objects or prey, and a bit of shimmy helps them take multiple snapshots that add depth to their underwater world.
Life
December 12, 2022
Peters’ elephant-nosed fish produce electric fields that help them navigate the world blickwinkel / Alamy Stock Photo
Elephant nosed fish need to twist, walk, and shimmy to accurately “see” the shapes of objects when interpreting oscillations in electric fields.
Peters’ Elephant Nose Fish (Gnathonemus petersiilisten)) is native to rivers in western and central Africa. It and its close relatives are “weakly electric” fish that can produce a small electric shock too weak to stun prey. But sensors in their skin can use the resulting electric field around their body to detect prey and underwater obstacles. …
