Quote:
Originally Posted by TheLongRun
Think the overlap between the non bony fishes and the catfish is related to the barbels/whiskers? Are they electrosensory like the sharks snouts (I forget what the organ is called)?
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The electromagentic reception in sharks is related to organs called,
. The electroreception in catfish is related to organs called ampullary electroreceptors and is similar in some ways and different in others. See:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...0096299290575B and
http://www.ezo.wur.nl/UK/MSc+project...on+in+catfish/
However, most of the published research is in freshwater catfish, and the different freshwater catfish have widely varying sensitivity levels so the outcome in marine catfish is very hard to predict without any data. In addition to setting what could be the limit of magnetic sensitivity in bony marine fishes, the experiment would also be interesting if it suggests that the use of magnetic hooks might reduce catch rates of marine catfish in situations where bycatch of these species in undesirable. There is some irony in the need to go out and catch 100 hardhead catfish to figure out how one might do a better job of not catching marine catfish!