Electrical sensitivity of the ampullæ of lorenzini

Abstract

ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL investigation has shown that the ampullæ of Lorenzini of elasmobranch fishes are sensitive both to slight changes of temperature1 and also to weak mechanical stimuli2. But neither sensory modality is convincing as the biologically adequate stimulus, for the temperature-sensitive regions are buried deep in the body (there being no apparent reason for the great anatomical development of the tube system), and the mechanical sensitivity is quantitatively less than that of the lateral line without being qualitatively very distinct. © 1960 Nature Publishing Group.