Can Fish Smell?
And if they do, what is there to smell underwater?
Have you ever wondered if fish can catch a whiff of the world around them?
We know sometimes fish have a “fishy” smell, but do fish actually have a sense of smell?
Humans use their noses to smell things. But fish don’t have noses like ours!
So, does that mean they can’t smell?
Nope, not at all!
Imagine diving into the ocean and trying to smell something. You can’t, right? That’s because we have to hold our noses underwater. But fish have an amazing super-sniffer system! They use special nostrils on their snouts called nares.
Fish have two nares, with one on each side, kind of like having four nostrils!
There are often flaps or fans that separate the two holes and also push water into the nostril as the fish moves.
Water moves in and travels down to a folded structure called a rosette where all the sensory organs are located.
The number of sensory cells on this rosette can be as many as 500,000 per square millimetre.
The folding of tissue in the rosette creates a bigger surface area, making more room for sensory organs, but there are big variations between the smell sensitivity of different species.
These nostrils are not for breathing like ours, but used solely for smelling.
Why Do Fish Need to Smell?
Fish use their super sense of smell for lots of important things:
- Finding Food: They can sniff out their next meal.
- Staying Safe: They can smell predators and stay away from danger.
- Finding Home: They can recognise their home and find their way back.
- Making Friends: They can identify their relatives and other fish of the same species.
- Looking for a Mate: They can even sniff out a potential partner!
How Do Fish Smell Underwater?
No nose…no worries!
When fish swim around, they can detect all sorts of smells through these special openings on their heads.
It’s almost like a superhero power because their sense of smell is so good!
Different Fish, Different Smells
Not all fish have the same super smelling powers. Some fish are better sniffers than others.
For example:
Sharks are famous for their incredible sense of smell, especially when it comes to detecting blood from far away.
But if there were an award for the best nose in the animal kingdom, it would surely go to Salmon. These fish are born in one location, swim away when they’re young, and then return to the exact same place as adults guided only by their amazing sense of smell!
Catfish have around 150 or more folds in their nostrils, making their sense of smell super accurate!
Largemouth Bass have only eight to thirteen folds, so their sense of smell isn’t as strong.
Even though worms and snails don’t smell much to us, fish can detect tiny amounts of amino acids in the water. This helps fishermen catch lots of fish!
So, the next time you see a fish, remember that they have a fantastic sense of smell, even if they don’t have a nose like ours!
