vibrissae
Noun
The word is derived from vibrissa
Meaning
of Vibrissa
Source: Webster's dictionaryExamples
However, their flippers tend to be proportionately longer, their pelage tends to be darker, and their vibrissae are more prominent.
Cetaceans have well-developed senses—their eyesight and hearing are adapted for both air and water, and baleen whales have a tactile system in their vibrissae.
Their mystacial vibrissae have ten times the innervation of terrestrial mammals, allowing them to effectively detect vibrations in the water. citation These vibrations are generated, for example, when a fish swims through water.
Riedman, p. 42. In addition to foraging, vibrissae may also play a role in navigation; spotted seals appear to use them to detect breathing holes in the ice.
The facial region of skull is relatively small, with pinnae very small or lacking, and the vibrissae are well developed.
The vibrissae of some otariids grow quite long—those of the Antarctic fur seal can reach convert. citation Walruses have the most vibrissae, at 600–700 individual hairs.