Tuesday, August 11, 2020

ampullae of Lorenzini allow the sharks to live more safely in the volcano

The underwater volcano is very active, and eruptions are common. With that in mind, you’d think it would be a pretty dangerous place for sharks to congregate. Scientists have suggested that the animals have adapted to this strange environment thanks in large part to a special feature of their bodies called the ampullae of Lorenzini.
As 9News explains, it’s a collection of pores near the sharks’ snout that may allow them to sense changes in Earth’s magnetic field, which could give them an early warning that the volcano is about to erupt and allow them to zip away to a safe distance.
“It looked like the sharks in the volcano were used to dealing with eruptions,” Professor Michael Heithaus, who has been studying the sharks for several years, told 9News. “You would think it’s dangerous but studies have shown us they can detect approaching hurricanes and cyclones, so they may be able to detect when something bad is about to happen and move out of the way.”

end partial quote from:
https://bgr.com/2020/08/11/volcano-sharks-ocean-study/

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