Being its sole purpose, the nose is even more adept at picking up smells;this was why it was created. The brain interprets the stimuli and provides information back to the shark regarding location, nature and distance of the prey. Because these nares are not ever used for breathing in the case of sharks, the entry of water does not interfere with the respiration at all. SHARK SENSES Sharks have all the senses we have (smell, taste, touch, eyesight, and hearing). They are called nasal barbels and act like whiskers as they feel foreign matter entering the canals to taste and smell it. Their ability to smell the smallest traces of blood dispersed within gallons and gallons of seawater has long been a source of fear and dread amongst swimmers and surfers. Sharks have a heightened sense of smell and olfactory system that is hundreds of times stronger than a human’s. This would explain why sharks which have been chummed to a fishing or shark diving boat will sometimes attack the propellers and other metal objects rather than … This ability also extends over hundreds of metres. It can detect one drop of blood in a million drops of water (25 gallons or 100 liters) and can smell blood 0.25 mile (0.4 km) away. SMELL A shark's primary sense is a keen sense of smell. Their senses are not integrated but depend on each other to provide reliable acuity. Sharks have a fantastic sense of smell, though many people hold misconceptions over it. As it zigzags closer to the prey, it responds to the increased scent in one nare or the other, following it and effectively tracking its victim. That's equal to one teaspoon in an average sized swimming pool. Interestingly, about 66% of the shark’s brain weight is accounted for by olfactory lobes. Some sharks can detect the blood of prey from a huge distance - one part of blood to one million parts of water. Including scents produced by potential predators, prey or a mate. Sharks are famous for their acute and superior sense of smell. Weird & Wacky, Copyright © 2020 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company. “They know right away when the scent hits the water,” said Erin Carter, an aquarist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium who works with several species of sharks. While their senses are more sensitive than those of humans, they do not have only five, but one more. This has led to many incidents of prey (or potential prey) escaping as the shark decides that it does not like the taste once it has bitten into the flesh. Everyone knows that sharks have an amazing sense of smell. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. In reality, however, one of the fascinating and reassuring facts about sharks is that “sharks can’t smell blood across an ocean with a sort of ‘supernatural’ sense,” clarifies Bearzi. The brain distinguishes between the smell of potential prey and the smell of pheromones, indicating a potential mate. This allows more water to enter into the nostrils, helping the shark to follow the scent accurately as it picks up speed. As the shark swims, it automatically moves its head back and forth. They can also sense electricity and vibrations in the water. The sensory cells within the sacs send messages to the brain to report on the smells they pick up. When sharks are close to prey it appears that their electrical sense takes over from sight or smell. A shark’s sense of smell is limited to about 1,300 feet. Those animals that do possess them have an increased ability to taste and smell as these amplify this sense. Because of the nature of the sensory organs, sharks do not know how their prey is going to taste until they have actually taken a bite, despite having been able to smell it beforehand. While sharks do have a strong sense of smell, this statement is largely overblown. The nasal openings, or nares, are situated on the underside of the soft snout. Toss a chunk of salmon into the shark tank at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, and you can see it in action. Here you can see the two slits that are the shark's nares, or nasal cavities, located on the white underside. Their ability to smell the smallest traces of blood dispersed within gallons and gallons of seawater has long been a source of fear and dread amongst swimmers and surfers. Rather, they are variations of the same sense. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. 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