Keenly Sensitive Lateral Lines Let Sixgill Sharks Detect Prey in Total Darkness

In absolute blackness, this giant hunts by feeling vibrations.

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All sharks possess lateral lines, but deep-sea species rely on them heavily.

Sixgill sharks use a highly developed lateral line system to sense minute water movements produced by struggling prey. In deep-sea habitats where sunlight never penetrates, vibration detection can be more reliable than vision.

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The lateral line allows detection of pressure waves across considerable distances, effectively turning the surrounding water into a sensory field. Even faint disturbances become navigational cues in the abyss.

When a predator larger than a small car can locate prey without sight in pitch darkness, it redefines what hunting means. The deep sea rewards sensory systems that function where light does not exist.

Source

Smithsonian Ocean Portal

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