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Dolphins are sensitive to magnetic stimuli as they behaved differently when swimming near magnetized objects, according to a new study. 

The study provides experimental behavioral proof that these marine animals are magnetoreceptive. 

Magnetoreception - the ability to perceive a magnetic field - is supposed to play an important role in how some land and aquatic species orientate and navigate themselves. 

"Dolphins are able to discriminate between objects based on their magnetic properties, which is a prerequisite for magnetoreception-based navigation,"Dorothee Kremers, lead researcher, said in the press release. "Our results provide new, experimentally obtained evidence that cetaceans have a magenetic sense, and should therefore be added to the list of magnetosensitive species."

The study has been published in the journal Naturwissenschaften - The Science of Nature.