Sharks have an excellent sense of smell, as odors enter their nose as they swim through the water to find food and avoid predators. We study sharks’ smell organs (olfactory rosettes, shown in the photo) that vary in shape between species and help us to understand how these animals interact with their environment.
See, feel, smell, hear, taste, and...magnetoreception? Unlike humans, some animals (like sharks, skates, and rays) can sense magnetic fields. Scientists have shown how various animals might use this sense to navigate, so the FAU Elasmo Lab sought to find out if yellow stingrays, a local species, could sense magnetic cues.
By burying magnets in a testing arena and feeding individuals immediately after they passed over those magnets, stingray learned to associate a magnetic field with food. Yellow stingrays were also able to distinguish between magnetic north and south (polarity) to correctly orient for a food reward. They were also able to distinguish changes in magnetic field intensity and inclination angle, which together provide them with the essential components of a ‘magnetic map’ of their environment. These studies provide strong evidence that yellow stingrays (and likely other elasmobranchs) can use magnetic cues to navigate through their natural environment.
