|
|
Article: Complex signal processing by weakly electric fishes.(The Future of Aquatic Research in Space: Neurobiology, Cellular and Molecular Physiology)
- Article from:
- The Biological Bulletin
- Article date:
- February 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Marine Biological Laboratory. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
How does the nervous system extract meaningful information from complex sensory stimuli in order to perform appropriate behaviors? The jamming avoidance response of weakly electric fishes, such as Gymnarchus niloticus, provides an attractive model system with which to study the neuronal substrate of pattern recognition.
The African electric fish Gymnarchus generates electric organ discharges at an individually fixed frequency for electrolocation. But when two fish with slightly different discharge frequencies meet, they shift their discharge frequencies away from each other and thus avoid effects of jamming on their electrolocation capabilities. To produce the ...