electroreceptor

[ ih-lek-troh-ri-sep-ter ]

noun

, Zoology.

1. any of an array of tiny, electrically sensitive ampullar organs present in sharks, electric eels, catfish, and certain other fishes, each organ being composed of a bundle of nerve fibers and sensory cells within a gel-filled conducting duct that can pick up weak electrical currents emitted by creatures moving in the water.

electroreceptor

/ ɪˈlɛktrəʊrɪˌsɛptə /

noun

1. zoology an organ, present in some fishes, that detects electrical discharges

Word History and Origins

Origin of electroreceptor¹

electro- + receptor