electrosensation

Electrosensation, or electroreception, is the biological ability to detect electrical phenomena in the environment. It is found in a variety of aquatic animals, such as sharks, rays, and other fishes, as well as in some monotremes like the platypus. In these species, specialized sensory organs transduce electrical signals into neural activity that can be interpreted by the nervous system.

There are two broad modes of electroreception. Passive electroreception detects ambient electric fields produced by other organisms or environmental sources, using electroreceptors such as ampullary organs in sharks and rays. Active electrolocation relies on an animal’s own electric field, generated by an electric organ, and detects distortions caused by nearby objects or prey. This active sense is especially developed in weakly electric fishes, including gymnotiform and mormyrid species, which can locate prey in murky water.

Anatomically, electroreceptors are diverse but often consist of specialized sensory cells embedded in the skin or mucous membranes and innervated by cranial nerves. Signals from these receptors are processed in the brain to produce perception of direction, distance, and object properties such as conductivity.

Ecological roles of electrosensation include prey detection, navigation, spatial orientation, and social communication in some species. In humans, there is no functional electroreception analogous to that of other vertebrates, although some basic sensitivity to electric fields can be demonstrated under certain experimental conditions.

Research into electroreception informs our understanding of sensory evolution and has inspired biomimetic approaches to sensor design and navigation technologies.