The lateral line is, literally, an observable line down both sides of a fish. It is also a sensory organ system that helps fish detect motion in the water around them. When water along the lateral line is displaced by movement or a vibration nearby, hair cells (similar in form and function to hair cells in a human ear) translate the displacement into an electrical impulse that is transmitted to the brain. The lateral line helps a fish orient itself upright in the water and relative to other fish (e.g., schooling fish or predators and prey). (fishionary.fisheries.org/lateral-line)
This goldfish uses its lateral line to orient upright in the water (Pogrebnoj Alexandroff).
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