Asked by: Adam Carlton, York

It’s not strictly ‘seeing’ but fish have rows of pressure-sensitive organs running down each side of their body called the lateral line, which allows them to sense nearby animals from the pressure changes in the water.

Sharks and electric eels also have special sense organs that allow them to detect the tiny electric fields generated by other animals.


Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun science facts.

Authors

luis villazon
Luis VillazonQ&A expert

Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.