Electroreception in marine fishes: chondrichthyans

Electroreception in marine fishes occurs across a variety of taxa and is best understood in the chondrichthyans (sharks, skates, rays, and chimaeras). Here, we present an up-to-date review of what is known about the biology of passive electroreception and we consider how electroreceptive fishes might respond to electric and magnetic stimuli in a changing marine environment. We briefly describe the history and discovery of electroreception in marine Chondrichthyes, the current understanding of the passive mode, the morphological adaptations of receptors across phylogeny and habitat, the physiological function of the peripheral and central nervous system components, and the behaviours mediated by electroreception. Additionally, whole genome sequencing, genetic screening and molecular studies promise to yield new insights into the evolution, distribution, and function of electroreceptors across different environments. This review complements that of electroreception in freshwater fishes in this special issue, which provides a comprehensive state of knowledge regarding the evolution of electroreception. We conclude that despite our improved understanding of passive electroreception, several outstanding gaps remain which limits our full comprehension of this sensory modality. Of particular concern is how electroreceptive fishes will respond and adapt to a marine environment that is being increasingly altered by anthropogenic electric and magnetic fields.