- A fish's hearing structure is composed of otoliths and the lateral line system. These two parts compose the octavo-lateralis line, which help fish with balance and hearing.
- For a fish, interpreting sound is a full-body experience. When sound vibrations pass through the water, they move fish with the water because a fish's body is about the same density as its surroundings. Bones in the fish's ear, called otoliths, help the fish sense vibrations. These small bones are more dense than both water and the fish's body, thus, they move more slowly in response to vibrations. The difference in vibration between a fish's body and the otoliths stimulate tiny hair-looking structures in a fish's ears called cilia, which are sensory cells. The fish interpret sounds by sensing the difference in movement between the cilia and the otolith when sending signals to the fish's brain.
- Lateral line on fish.
Fish don't have ear structures outside their bodies like humans, but the lateral line system on the outside of their bodies helps with hearing. Along a fish's lateral line, which is located along the sides of a fish's body and head, small sensory cells called neuromasts are grouped together. Neuromasts detect motion and help fish sense pressure differences in its surroundings. Sound vibrations are changes in pressure, thus, the lateral line system can also help fish detect sound. Changes in water pressure, or vibrations, stimulate the cilia on a neuromast and transmit signals to the fish's brain.
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