Dear Dr. Kirkwood, the organs which enable Elasmobranchs to perceive electrical fields are called "ampulleae of Lorenzini". They are located on the underside of the snout of an Elasmobranch. Their evolutive origin is most likely the lateral line.
More to read: a) Montgomery, J.C. (1988) Sensory physiology. In Physiology of Elasmobranch Fishes, ed. by. T.J. Shuttleworth, pp.79-98. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. b) Kalmijn, A.J. (1978) Electric and magnetic sensory world of sharks, skates and rays, in Sensory Biology of Sharks Skates and Rays, Hodgson, E.S. and Mathewson, R.F., Eds., US Dept. of the Navy, Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va., pp. 507-528.
Hope that helps, Jascha Minow.
Jascha B. Minow Free University of Berlin Germany e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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