Electrophysiological evidence of electroreception in the axoloyl Siredon mexicanum

Abstract

Single unit recordings from a branch of the anterior lateral line nerve of the axolotl Siredon mexicanum, reveal the existence of two types of afferents. One type reacts to electric field square pulses below 100 μV/cm and is insensitive to weak mechanical stimuli. The other type is very sensitive to water displacements and can only be excited by electric square pulses above 3 mV/cm. We consider the fiber population with low electric thresholds to originate from electrosensitive receptors and the second population to represent fibers from ordinary mechanosensitive lateral line organs.