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How do sharks and rays use electroreception to find hidden prey?

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Compound eye — Senses Vespid wasps (Vespidae), similar to other insects, have compound eyes that consist of thousands of tiny optical units known as ommatidia, which contain light-sensitive photoreceptor cells.

Sharks and rays utilize a specialized sensory system known as electroreception to locate prey, even when it is hidden in sand or mud or obscured by murky water. This ability is facilitated by sensory organs called ampullae of Lorenzini, which are distributed primarily across the animal's head.123

These organs consist of a network of gel-filled canals that open to the skin's surface through tiny pores. The gelatinous substance within these canals is highly conductive, allowing the organs to detect minute bioelectric fields—specifically weak direct current (DC) fields—emitted by the gills, gut, and skin wounds of prey organisms.312

This process is known as passive electrolocation. When these weak electric fields reach the ampullae, they stimulate voltage-sensitive ion channels in the sensory cells, triggering nerve impulses that travel to the central nervous system. Sharks and rays are remarkably sensitive to these stimuli, capable of detecting voltage changes as low as 0.01 to 0.02 microvolts per centimeter, providing them with a significant advantage in hunting and navigation.231