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How do fish nasal lamellae increase the surface area available for smell detection?
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Chemoreception
Animals, such as this pine grosbeak, use chemoreception to respond to chemicals that can be tasted and smelled in their environments. Many of these chemicals affect behaviors such as food preference and defense.
In fish, the floor of the nasal cavity contains folds known as lamellae, which are arranged in a rosette pattern radiating from a central point. By forming this structure, the lamellae significantly increase the total surface area of the olfactory epithelium that lines the nasal cavity, allowing for a greater number of olfactory receptor cells to be accommodated.1