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Sensory
Fish Balance and Equilibrium
The vestibular system of fish - otoliths sense gravity and linear acceleration; semicircular canals detect rotation.
System: Nervous Level: Intermediate Discipline: Physiology
📖 Overview
Fish balance uses the same principles as mammalian balance. Gravity pulls otoliths against hair cells, indicating orientation. Rotational movements are detected by three orthogonal fluid-filled canals. Together, these provide the sensory basis for the reflexes that keep a fish upright even in complete darkness.
✨ Fun Fact
The bony fish inner ear is the direct evolutionary ancestor of your inner ear. Your vestibular apparatus is a modified fish organ.
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