FAQ
A contribution of The Cephalopod Page
| Question: |
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| Many times people have asked me if cephalopods can hear and at first I didn't know the answer. Since then I've read a study by Packard et al (1990) which indicates that cephalopods do hear low frequency sounds. Cephalopods have complex statocysts which also help them hear (Budelmann). |
| Answer: |
| However, after a few pointers from Dr. Budelmann and further reading it appears that the answer is more complicated and depends on what your definition of hearing is. Using the following broad definition, hearing is the reception of vibratory stimuli of any kind and nature, provided that the sound source is away from the animals body, cephalopods can hear. Some other definitions of hearing require that the animal have an air filled cavity and sensors capable of detecting the pressure component of sound - something cephalopods do not have (Budelmann, 1996). Dr. James Wood |