RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Marine teleost locates live prey through pH sensing JF Science JO Science FD American Association for the Advancement of Science SP 1154 OP 1156 DO 10.1126/science.1252697 VO 344 IS 6188 A1 Caprio, John A1 Shimohara, Mami A1 Marui, Takayuki A1 Harada, Shuitsu A1 Kiyohara, Sadao YR 2014 UL http://science.sciencemag.org/content/344/6188/1154.abstract AB Finding prey is hard enough in the light of day, but animals that are nocturnal or live in murky conditions face even greater challenges. Caprio et al. describe a sense that allows a marine catfish to detect the mere “breathing” of their prey target. External sensors on the catfish's whiskers detect pH changes generated by hidden, respiring polychaete worms.Science, this issue p. 1154We report that the Japanese sea catfish Plotosus japonicus senses local pH-associated increases in H+/CO2 equating to a decrease of ≤0.1 pH unit in ambient seawater. We demonstrated that these sensors, located on the external body of the fish, detect undamaged cryptic respiring prey, such as polychaete worms. Sensitivity is maximal at the natural pH of seawater (pH 8.1 to 8.2) and decreases dramatically in seawater with a pH <8.0.