The ventral part of the Chinese sturgeon’s snout has numerous ampullae. The ampullary organs have a sensory cell very similar to that found in the Lorenzinian ampulla, an electroreceptor found in marine Elasmobranchs. The sensory cells are pearshaped with single cilium on the center of their sharp ends.

The conclusion that these organs are electroreceptors is supported by the findings that the fish responds to the introduction of an iron bar, whereas a plastic bar introduced in the same way causes no response. Chinese sturgeon was observed to bite an iron wire or to suck iron powders, but did not respond to Tubifex worm juice, while live worms are natural food of the fish.

Sturgeons feed on the bottom by sucking and are generally thought to detect food by their barbels where very few taste buds are found. It indicates that Chinese sturgeon may feed mainly by electroreception of the ampullae on the ventral part of its snout, and that the gustatory sense of the barbels does not play an important role in feeding.