By means of electrically-sensitive
ampullae, hammerhead sharks can
spot creatures hiding beneath the sand.The stargazer can pop out its killer eyes and
rotate them individually by filling a cavity
behind the eyes with liquid.Fish eyes can kill!
The stargazer (Astroscopus) spends most
of its life hiding in the sand. Its front fins
function as shovels that dig to bury the fish,
leaving only its eyes, gills, and nostrils
protruding. By inhaling water through the
nose and out through the gills, the stargazer
produces small ripples on the ocean floor
that resemble activity by small fish. The
ripples attract bigger prey, and when it
comes close enough, lightning strikes. The
stargazer’s eyes include four extra muscles
that form an electrical generator. The
muscles emit electric charges of up to 50
volts – more than enough to paralyse the
prey. The stargazer then opens its mouth
quickly to ‘vacuum’ up its lunch.Electromag
netism
makes the
gecko stic
k.
Current
- sensit
ive
gel spo
ts (^) the (^) p
rey.
(^50) volts dart
fro^
m (^) the eyes.
CLAUS LUNAU & WILDESTANIMAL/GETTY
PAS
CAL
(^) KO
BEH
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