Something’s off.A study in Current Biology reports that the longfin inshore squid may be covered in sensory cells with tiny hair-like bundles resembling those involved in human hearing. Researchers reportedly mapped hatchling squid with light-sheet microscopy and found both previously described linear arrays and broader fields across the body surface.
The unusual aspect is where these cells are said to be: in humans, comparable hair cells are located inside the ear, while the squid’s reported arrays span its exterior. The researchers propose that differences in bundle length and location could help the animal register different local water movements, and suggest the squid could offer clues about hearing loss.
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