Bryant Jackson, age 9, of  Montgomery, Ala., for his question:

DOES THE FISH HAVE A SENSE OF SMELL?

All fish are able to smell things in the water. It is an especially highly developed sense in many species including catfish, salmon and sharks.

In most fish, the olfactory organs, the organs of smell, are made up of two pouches, one on each side of the snout. The pouches are lined with nerve tissue that is highly sensitive to odors from substances in the water.

A nostril at the front of each pouch allows the water to enter and then pass over the tissue. Water leaves the pouch through a nostril at the back.

Most fish also have taste buds in various parts of the mouth, so they are able to taste things as well as smell them. Some species have the taste buds in various parts of the body, rather than the mouth.

Catfish, sturgeon and a number of other fish have whisker like feelers called barbels near the mouth. They use the barbels both to taste and to touch.