Electroreceptive and Mechanoreceptive Anatomical Specialisations in the Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum)

Winther‐Janson, Marit; Wueringer, Barbara E.; Seymour, Jamie

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049857

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Urobatis jamaicensis and the round stingray Urobatis halleri (Cooper 1863) are small benthic batoids that have relatively more dorsal pores located near the posterior margin of its disc, whereas the benthopelagic cownose ray Rhinoptera bonasus (Mitchill 1815) and bat ray Myliobatis californica (Gill 1865) have the majority of their dorsal pores concentrated near the head (Bedore et al, ; Jordan, ). The epaulette shark Hemiscyllium ocellatum (Bonnaterre 1788) is a small benthic species that has ampullary pores located near the pelvic fins (Winther‐Janson et al, ), a condition that has yet to be described in larger epibenthic or pelagic selachians. Large benthic batoids may rely more on their size and less on electroreception as a predatory deterrent.…”

Section: Anatomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Electroreception in marine fishes: chondrichthyans

Newton

Gill

Kajiura

2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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Electroreception in marine fishes occurs across a variety of taxa and is best understood in the chondrichthyans (sharks, skates, rays, and chimaeras). Here, we present an up‐to‐date review of what is known about the biology of passive electroreception and we consider how electroreceptive fishes might respond to electric and magnetic stimuli in a changing marine environment. We briefly describe the history and discovery of electroreception in marine Chondrichthyes, the current understanding of the passive mode, the morphological adaptations of receptors across phylogeny and habitat, the physiological function of the peripheral and central nervous system components, and the behaviours mediated by electroreception. Additionally, whole genome sequencing, genetic screening and molecular studies promise to yield new insights into the evolution, distribution, and function of electroreceptors across different environments. This review complements that of electroreception in freshwater fishes in this special issue, which provides a comprehensive state of knowledge regarding the evolution of electroreception. We conclude that despite our improved understanding of passive electroreception, several outstanding gaps remain which limits our full comprehension of this sensory modality. Of particular concern is how electroreceptive fishes will respond and adapt to a marine environment that is being increasingly altered by anthropogenic electric and magnetic fields.

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Section: Anatomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Electroreception in marine fishes: chondrichthyans

Newton

Gill

Kajiura

2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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“…Nonetheless, Winther‐Janson et al . (2012) hypothesised that this rule only applies to batoids, as even sharks with ecological constraints similar to those of benthic rays exhibit continuously pored canals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anatomy of the mechanosensory lateral line canal system and electrosensory ampullae of Lorenzini in two species of sawshark (fam. Pristiophoridae)

Wueringer

Winther‐Janson²,

Raoult

et al. 2020

Journal of Fish Biology

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It has long been assumed that the elongated rostra (the saws) of sawsharks (family: Pristiophoridae) and sawfish (family: Pristidae) serve a similar function. Recent behavioural and anatomical studies have shed light on the dual function of the pristid rostrum in mechanosensory and electrosensory prey detection and prey manipulation. Here, the authors examine the distributions of the mechanosensory lateral line canals and electrosensory ampullae of Lorenzini in the southern sawshark, Pristiophorus nudipinnis and the longnose sawshark, Pristiophorus cirratus. In both species, the receptive fields of the mechano‐ and electrosensory systems extend the full length of the rostrum indicating that the sawshark rostrum serves a sensory function. Interestingly, despite recent findings suggesting they feed at different trophic levels, minimal interspecific variation between the two species was recorded. Nonetheless, compared to pristids, the pristiophorid rostrum possesses a reduced mechanosensory sampling field but higher electrosensory resolution, which suggests that pristiophorids may not use their rostrums to disable large prey like pristids do.

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“…Norris ; Kajiura ; Winther‐Janson et al . ). Whether pores are primarily found on the dorsal or ventral surface appears to depend on ecology (Raschi ).…”

Section: Survey Of Electroreceptors In Extant Vertebratesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Electroreception in early vertebrates: survey, evidence and new information

King

Long

2018

Palaeontology

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Electroreception is widespread in living vertebrates, and is often considered to be a primitive vertebrate character. However, the early evolution of electroreception remains unclear. A variety of structures in early vertebrate fossils have been put forward as potential electroreceptors, but these need to be reassessed in light of the now substantial literature on electroreceptors in living vertebrates. Here we review the evidence for all putative electroreceptors in early vertebrates, and provide new information from CT scans. In the jawless osteostracans, the pore canal system in the dermal skeleton and the lateral and dorsal fields do not resemble electroreceptors in living species. Nevertheless, the presence of a recurrent ramus of the anterior lateral line nerve in osteostracans suggests that electroreceptors were present, by comparison with lampreys. In placoderms, cutaneous sense organs on arthrodire cheek plates are possible electroreceptors. CT data shows that the orientation of these pits is anomalous for electroreceptors, and intimately associated with bone growth. A newly identified type of cheek pit, for which the term 'Young's apparatus' is introduced, is known from only two arthrodire specimens. It is closely associated with the underlying jaw joint, but its precise function is unknown. In osteichthyans, the 'pore group' clusters of early sarcopterygians may have housed electroreceptors. CT data from Devonian lungfish support this interpretation, showing internal morphology consistent with electroreceptors, and innervation via the rostral tubuli underlying the dermal bone of the snout. The early osteichthyan Ligulalepis has pit structures which may be electroreceptors, and were possibly innervated by lateral line nerves. Specialized electroreceptor systems, including elaborated 'pore group' pits in Devonian lungfish and rostral organs in the earliest coelacanths, show that electroreception may have had an important role in niche specialization in early vertebrates. Finally, fossil data does not support the hypothesis that vertebrate hard tissues initially evolved to shield electroreceptors.

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Electroreceptive and Mechanoreceptive Anatomical Specialisations in the Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum)

Cited by 16 publications

References 40 publications

Electroreception in marine fishes: chondrichthyans

Electroreception in marine fishes: chondrichthyans

Anatomy of the mechanosensory lateral line canal system and electrosensory ampullae of Lorenzini in two species of sawshark (fam. Pristiophoridae)

Electroreception in early vertebrates: survey, evidence and new information

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