Something in the Water

Some animals possess extraordinary senses that sound like the stuff of science fiction — sensing earth’s magnetic fields, seeing infrared light, or, in the case of fish, detecting the slightest vibrations in the water around them. Fish owe their unique ability to sensory organs called neuromasts, seen here in a zebrafish. Arranged in a line from head to tail, clusters of hair-like cells pick up vibrations in the water and signal the brain, similar to the way hair cells in your ears detect vibrations in the air and transform them into sound.

About the Author

Michael W. Richardson

Michael W. Richardson is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn, New York, covering topics ranging from the brain and behavior to the environment.