lateral line

American  

noun

1. the line, or system of lines, of sensory structures along the head and sides of fishes and amphibians, by which the animal is believed to detect water current and pressure changes and vibrations.

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lateral line Scientific  

1. A series of tubelike canals along the head and sides of fish and some amphibians by which vibrations, as from water currents, and changes in pressure are detected.

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Etymology

Origin of lateral line

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

“The filtering capacities of the lateral line system of the tail could improve the signal-to-noise ratio, avoiding overstimulation of the canal neuromasts.”

From Salon • Feb. 10, 2025

Instead, like many aquatic vertebrates, the fish apparently relies on its lateral line — a system of sense organs that can detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water.

From New York Times • Jun. 29, 2015

This is a video of a lateral line, an organ that allows fish to sense water movement, developing in a zebra fish.

From Reuters • Apr. 27, 2015

The lateral line is visible as a darker stripe that runs along the length of the fish’s body.

From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013

In the tenth row the lateral line is marked by a minute ovate-oblong dot on each scale of a silvery white, so that there are about fifty such dots on each side.

From Lachesis Lapponica A Tour in Lapland, Volume 1 by Linn?, Carl von