Russell Lavoie, age 9, of Coventry, Rhode Island, for his question:

Does a fish have ears?

Yes he does, but they are hidden inside his head. There is one on each side covered by thick scaly material. You might think that these buried ears cannot hear very well. But this is not so. In most cases, a fish can hear sounds in the water and also splashes on the surface. Some fish also can hear sounds in the air above. For example, if you wish to catch a catfish, you must be very quiet. If he hears you talking or rattling around, he scoots away to safety and you had better plan on something else for dinner.

Each fishy ear is~a tiny pocket. Sealed inside it there is a set of tinier pockets and tubes. Sounds jog along in little pulses called vibrations. The vibrations jog the sides of the fish's head.

His skin and bones pass the vibrations along to the ears inside. The fish can tell which sounds make fast vibrations and which sounds make slower vibrations.