Mind The Gap! Detection of gaps between objects during active electrolocation in Gnathonemus petersii

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Mind The Gap! Detection of gaps between objects during active electrolocation in Gnathonemus petersii Katharina Behr1, Dominik Holtkamp1, Gesche Neusel1 and Gerhard Von Der Emde1* 1 University of Bonn, Zoology, Germany The elephantnose fish Gnathonemus petersii generates electrical signals (electric organ discharges, EODs), which build up an electric field around the fish’s body. The animals perceive their own electrical emissions with cutaneous electroreceptor organs. During active electrolocation, objects are recognized by analysing the electric images, which they project onto the skin of the fish during each EOD. G. petersii and other mormyrids are nocturnal and use active electrolocation to orient in their habitat in complete darkness at night. In our project, we determined how well the fish could detect gaps between two metal objects in front of complex backgrounds. We trained the fish in a food-rewarded two-alternative forced-choice procedure to swim to two metal cubes (2cm x 2cm x 2cm) with a gap between them, which served as the positive stimulus. The alternative negative stimulus was a solid object of equal length with no gap. Our results show that G. petersii is able to detect gaps down to a width of about 0.2 cm. Discrimination performance was better (0.1 cm gap size) when the objects were placed in front of a moving plastic or water plant background. This indicates that movements in the environment play an important role for object identification. In addition, we determined the correlation between gap size and the distance, in which gaps could be detected. We found that G. petersii is able to detect a 1 cm gap up to a distance of 4 cm, and a 0.5 cm gap up to a distance of 3 cm. Keywords: background movement, electric image, gap detection, Orientation, spatial resolution, weakly electric fish Conference: Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology, College Park. Maryland USA, United States, 5 Aug - 10 Aug, 2012. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation (see alternatives below as well) Topic: Sensory: Electrosensory Citation: Behr K, Holtkamp D, Neusel G and Von Der Emde G (2012). Mind The Gap! Detection of gaps between objects during active electrolocation in Gnathonemus petersii. Conference Abstract: Tenth International Congress of Neuroethology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnbeh.2012.27.00232 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. Gerhard Von Der Emde, University of Bonn, Zoology, Bonn, 53115, Germany, vonderemde@uni-bonn.de 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 Katharina Behr Dominik Holtkamp Gesche Neusel Gerhard Von Der Emde Google Katharina Behr Dominik Holtkamp Gesche Neusel Gerhard Von Der Emde Google Scholar Katharina Behr Dominik Holtkamp Gesche Neusel Gerhard Von Der Emde PubMed Katharina Behr Dominik Holtkamp Gesche Neusel Gerhard Von Der Emde 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.