Ampullae of

Lorenzini
Sharks are very much the same, and
different to humans. Many people do not
know that sharks have six senses, not
five. This sixth sense is called the
Ampullae of Lorenzini.
The Ampullae of Lorenzini are the
sixth sense of sharks and were discovered
and named by the anatomist Lorenzini in
1678 (An anatomist is a person who
studies bodies and dissects them). The
Ampullae of Lorenzini are pores that
contain a jelly-like substance, which sharks
pick up electrical signals with. The muscles
of all living things give out this electric
signal. It is a given fact that electricity
moves better in water than in air, so this
sense is effective to giving the shark pinpoint accuracy. The
Ampullae of Lorenzini can sense and electric signal from about on
meter away.
Ampullae are tight-necked roman vessels as shown in the
picture. The pores are called the Ampullae of Lorenzini, since the
shapes of these pores are like ampullae.

The Ampullae of Lorenzini are scattered across a sharks

snout, so that it can sense an electrical signal coming from any
direction and for maximum accuracy. The hammerhead shark is a
great example to how the Ampullae of Lorenzini comes to play in the
wild: the hammerhead shark sways its head from side to side while
moving forward across the sandy sea bed. Then when there is prey
underneath the sand (e.g. octopi, shellfish, crabs), it the prey
gives of the small electrical signal and the shark interprets the
signal. Then the shark knows it is not barking up the wrong tree, and
knows that the prey is there. Finally, it attacks the prey and it eats it
up. The Ampullae of Lorenzini and the usage of electrical signals are
not unique to sharks; platypuses, skates and rays also can sense
electrical signals. Hunting is one of the known reasons sharks have
this sense, but scientists also suggest that it could act like a
compass. How would this sense also tell which direction the shark is
going? The magnetic fields on earth produce an electric field, and
possibly this is how sharks navigate by recognizing the electric field
that they know.
If sharks, skates and rays can sense these electric fields, then
do other under water animals also sense these electric fields?