Interactions between weak electric fish

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Interactions between weak electric fish Winfried E. Wojtenek1* and Katheryne Aldas Saltos1 1 Neurociencia ambiental, Ecuador Decisions are the result of neuronal processing of environmental information and internal state. Here we present a new paradigm to study the neural mechanisms underlying decision making in South American wave-type weakly electric fish. Their Jamming Avoidance Response (JAR) has been studied intensively in Eigenmannia virescens (Sternopygidae, Gymnotiformes, Teleostei) at the behavioral and neural level (Heiligenberg 1991). Fish with an Electric Organ Discharge (EOD) frequency slightly lower than that of a nearby conspecific will lower their EOD frequency (EODf), whereas the fish with the higher frequency will raise its EODf. We studied the JAR in Eigenmannia lineata in the Amazonian low-land rainforest of Ecuador using playback of artificial EODs either higher or lower in frequency than that of the focal fish while varying water temperature. At constant temperature, E. lineata moved its EODf away from that of the playback stimulus and established a constant frequency distance as shown earlier by Kramer (1987). In our experiments, this 'equilibrium' frequency distance was 11.9 Hz (average, n =47). With changes in temperature, E. lineata modified its EODf depending on the direction of the temperature changes. During these trials, three different phases of EODf modification could be distinguished: First, prior to start of the playback stimulus, EODf increased or decreased with temperature. Second, during playback the animals established a constant distance from the frequency of the playback, even though rising or dropping temperature pushed their EODf closer towards the playback frequency. Third, eventually, the changing temperature forced the fish to raise or drop their frequency above or below the one of the stimulus. The frequency change leading to crossing over the frequency of the playback was a much more rapid and elaborate modulation of EODf that the one induced by temperature change or the regular JAR. After crossing-over, E. lineata readjusted their EODf again to increasing or decreasing temperature in a comparable shape as observed during the first phase. The adjustment of an 'equilibrium' frequency difference from the playback EODf during continuously increasing or decreasing water temperature appeared like a regular JAR. The crossing-over forced by the continued temperature change, however, had much faster temporal characteristics. It will be interesting to investigate the neurophysiological processes underlying this behavior. Acknowledgements We appreciate discussions with Harold Zakon and Eric Fortune. Harold Zakon help us with outstanding support. Thank to Thomas Small, Grant Welland and Rüdiger Krahe correcting English of this manuscript. We deeply appreciate and love John Nicholls for giving us the vision to work under outstanding circumstances. - Muchas Gracias. References Heiligenberg, W (1991): Neural Nets in electric fish. MIT Press, Cambridge Massachusetts. Kramer, Bernd (1987) The sexually dimorphic jamming avoidance response in the electric fish Eigenmannia (Teleostei, Gymnotiformes). J. exp. Biol. 130, 39-62 Keywords: Eigenmannia, Gymnotiformes, Teleostei, electric organ discharge frequency (EODf), Jamming Avoidance Response (JAR), temperature, weak electric fish Conference: Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology, College Park. Maryland USA, United States, 5 Aug - 10 Aug, 2012. Presentation Type: Poster (but consider for Participant Symposium) Topic: Sensorimotor Integration Citation: Wojtenek WE and Aldas Saltos K (2012). Interactions between weak electric fish. Conference Abstract: Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnbeh.2012.27.00281 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 30 Apr 2012; Published Online: 07 Jul 2012. * Correspondence: Dr. Winfried E Wojtenek, Neurociencia ambiental, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador, wojtenek@mac.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Winfried E Wojtenek Katheryne Aldas Saltos Google Winfried E Wojtenek Katheryne Aldas Saltos Google Scholar Winfried E Wojtenek Katheryne Aldas Saltos PubMed Winfried E Wojtenek Katheryne Aldas Saltos Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.