PMID- 30820010
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20190923
LR  - 20190923
IS  - 1421-9743 (Electronic)
IS  - 0006-8977 (Linking)
VI  - 92
IP  - 3-4
DP  - 2018
TI  - Sensory Specializations of Mormyrid Fish Are Associated with Species Differences 
      in Electric Signal Localization Behavior.
PG  - 125-141
LID - 10.1159/000496493 [doi]
AB  - The ability to localize communication signals plays a fundamental role in social 
      interactions. For signal localization to take place, the sensory system of the 
      receiver must extract information about distance and direction to the sender from 
      physical characteristics of the signal. In many sensory systems, information from 
      multiple peripheral receptors must be integrated by central sensory pathways to 
      determine the sender location. Here, we asked whether evolutionary divergence in 
      the electrosensory and visual systems of mormyrid fish is associated with signal 
      localization behavior. In mormyrids, differences in the distribution of 
      electroreceptors on the surface of the skin are associated with differences in 
      the midbrain exterolateral nucleus (EL). Species with electroreceptors clustered 
      in three rosettes on both sides of the head have a small and undifferentiated EL. 
      In contrast, EL is enlarged and subdivided into anterior (ELa) and posterior 
      (ELp) regions in species that have electroreceptors broadly -distributed 
      throughout the body. Interestingly, species with EL and clustered 
      electroreceptors also have larger visual systems and higher visual acuity than 
      species with ELa/ELp and broadly distributed electroreceptors. Species with 
      broadly distributed electroreceptors and ELa/ELp approached a simulated 
      conspecific by following the curved electric field lines generated by the 
      electrosensory stimulus. In contrast, a species with small EL and clustered 
      electroreceptors, but an enlarged visual system, followed shorter and straighter 
      paths to the stimulus source. In the central electrosensory system, evoked field 
      potentials in response to stimuli delivered from the left versus the right 
      differed more in EL than in ELa/ELp. Our results suggest that signal localization 
      behavior is associated with differences in sensory specializations. We propose 
      that the distribution of electroreceptors on the body affects the ability of 
      individuals to align parallel to electric field lines and maintain such alignment 
      while approaching the signal source. The spatial resolution of sensory 
      information relayed from the periphery to the midbrain in species with clustered 
      electroreceptors may allow for gross, but not fine, processing of sender 
      location. Furthermore, visual information may play an important role in 
      localizing signaling individuals in species with small EL and clustered 
      electroreceptors. In line with previous studies, we suggest that the 
      physiological and behavioral differences associated with signal localization 
      reflect adaptations to different habitats and social environments.
CI  - (c) 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel.
FAU - Velez, Alejandro
AU  - Velez A
AD  - Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, 
      USA.
AD  - Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, 
      USA.
FAU - Ryoo, Da Yeon
AU  - Ryoo DY
AD  - Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, 
      USA.
FAU - Carlson, Bruce A
AU  - Carlson BA
AD  - Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, 
      USA, carlson.bruce@wustl.edu.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
DEP - 20190301
PL  - Switzerland
TA  - Brain Behav Evol
JT  - Brain, behavior and evolution
JID - 0151620
SB  - IM
MH  - Afferent Pathways/physiology
MH  - Animals
MH  - Biological Evolution
MH  - Electric Fish/*anatomy & histology/*physiology
MH  - Electric Organ/*physiology
MH  - Electricity
MH  - Electrophysiology/methods
MH  - Evoked Potentials/physiology
MH  - Sensation/physiology
MH  - Sensory Receptor Cells/physiology
MH  - Species Specificity
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Electric organ discharge
OT  - Evoked field potential
OT  - Mormyridae
OT  - Passive electrolocation
OT  - Sensory physiology
OT  - Signal localization
OT  - Weakly electric fish
EDAT- 2019/03/02 06:00
MHDA- 2019/09/24 06:00
CRDT- 2019/03/02 06:00
PHST- 2018/03/21 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2018/12/29 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2019/03/02 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2019/09/24 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2019/03/02 06:00 [entrez]
AID - 000496493 [pii]
AID - 10.1159/000496493 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Brain Behav Evol. 2018;92(3-4):125-141. doi: 10.1159/000496493. Epub 2019 Mar 1.