In 1993, Edwin Gould and colleagues proposed that the star-like proboscis had electroreceptors and that the mole was therefore able to sense the electrical field of its prey prior to mechanical inspection by its appendages. Through behavioral experiments, they demonstrated that moles preferred an artificial worm with the simulated electrical field of a live earthworm to an identical arrangement without the electrical field. They suggested, therefore, that the nerve endings in the star’s tentacles are indeed electroreceptors and that the moles move them around constantly to sample the strength of the electromagnetic field at different locations as they search for prey. However, the hypothesis remains unexplained physiologically and has not yet been accepted by the scientific community. Instead, the hypothesis proposed by Catania, in which the function of the appendage is purely tactile, seems to be more feasible and is the one currently accepted.