A team of researchers from the University of Chicago has identified networks of neurons in the pectoral fins of some fish that function as detectors that are especially sensitive to touch.
"It was a real surprise to see that, like the skin of mammals, the fins of certain fish can detect changes in pressure and subtle movements ," says Adam R. Hardy, one of those responsible for the finding, from the Department of Anatomy. and Biology of the Organism of the mentioned American institution.
Until now, it was known that a type of specialized cells in the fins sent information to the brain of these animals about the position of the fins. In this essay, however, it is stated that in the extremities of certain species, specifically those of the catfish Pimelodus pictus , which lives in the Amazon and the Orinoco, there are neurons that respond to contact and provide data on the degree of pressure. .
This adaptation, according to the researchers, allows them to live in environments with very low light and to precisely control their fins . The question, now, is to elucidate if other fish have also developed it. In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B , these experts indicate that this discovery will shed some light on the evolution of this sense and, in the future, will inspire new advances in underwater robotics.
Image: Adam R. Hardy / University of Chicago
