Which of the following fishes does NOT have a sense of smell?

Correct option is A

Correct Answer: (a) Puffer fish
Explanation:
→ Puffer fishes lack developed olfactory organs, making them one of the rare fish groups with minimal or absent sense of smell.
→ They depend more on vision and taste for locating food and avoiding predators.
→ This trait differentiates them from most teleosts, which have strong olfactory abilities.
Information Booster:
→ Reduced nasal structures correlate with specialized feeding behaviour.
→ Many puffers rely on toxins (tetrodotoxin) for defense rather than sensory detection.
→ Olfaction in fishes is usually vital for migration and mating, making this exception notable.
Additional Information (Other Options):
(b) Wrasse – good olfactory sense.
(c) Hagfish – extremely strong smell sense.
(d) Lamprey – highly developed olfactory system.