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Can you hear me?

Can a cuttlefish hear?
A magnetic resonance image (MRI) reveals the internal anatomy of a cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis). WHOI postdoctoral scholar Aran Mooney, senior scientist Darlene Ketten, and scan technologist Julie Arruda are working with scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Roger Hanlon, Lydia Mathger and Justine Allen to determine how cuttlefish and squid detect sound in water. The researchers combine images from MRI and CT (computerized tomography) scans with physiological measurements of the animals’ neural responses to sound. The data may help to l understand how cephalopods detect predators and prey or use other acoustic cues in ocean environments. (Photo by Julie Arruda, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)