How does the paddlefish snout help the fish detect food?

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Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) — chondrostean Russian sturgeon (*Acipenser gueldenstaedtii*) swimming along the seafloor of the Black Sea.

The paddlefish's elongated, paddle-shaped snout is highly sensitive because it is covered with electroreception organs. These organs allow the fish to detect weak naturally occurring electrostatic fields in the environment, which facilitates the detection of prey or other food sources.12

By sensing these electrical cues, the paddlefish can locate food even in conditions where other senses might be limited. Once the food is detected, the paddlefish feeds by swimming with its mouth gaping open, using comblike gill rakers to strain plankton from the water.2314