Electric organ discharges of the gymnotiform fishes: III. Brachyhypopomus |
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Authors: | P K Stoddard B Rasnow C Assad |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA e-mail: stoddard@fiu.edu Fax: +1-305-348-1869, US;(2) Divisions of Biology and Electrical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA, US;(3) Amgen, One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA, US;(4) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, MS 303-300, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA, US |
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Abstract: | We measured and mapped the electric fields produced by three species of neotropical electric fish of the genus Brachyhypopomus (Gymnotiformes, Rham phichthyoidea, Hypopomidae), formerly Hypopomus. These species produce biphasic pulsed discharges from myogenic electric organs. Spatio-temporal false-color maps of the
electric organ discharges measured on the skin show that the electric field is not a simple dipole in Brachyhypopomus. Instead, the dipole center moves rostro-caudally during the 1st phase (P1) of the electric organ discharge, and is stationary
during the 2nd phase (P2). Except at the head and tip of tail, electric field lines rotate in the lateral and dorso-ventral
planes. Rostro-caudal differences in field amplitude, field lines, and spatial stability suggest that different parts of the
electric organ have undergone selection for different functions; the rostral portions seem specialized for electrosensory
processing, whereas the caudal portions show adaptations for d.c. signal balancing and mate attraction as well. Computer animations
of the electric field images described in this paper are available on web sites http://www.bbb.caltech.edu/ElectricFish or http://www.fiu.edu/∼stoddard/electricfish.html.
Accepted: 22 September 1998 |
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Keywords: | Bioelectricity Communication Electric fish Electrogenesis Electroreception |
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