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Behavioral responses to jamming and ‘phantom’ jamming stimuli in the weakly electric fish Eigenmannia

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Abstract

The jamming avoidance response (JAR) of the weakly electric fish Eigenmannia is characterized by upward or downward shifts in electric organ discharge (EOD) frequency that are elicited by particular combinations of sinusoidal amplitude modulation (AM) and differential phase modulation (DPM). However, non-jamming stimuli that consist of AM and/or DPM can elicit similar shifts in EOD frequency. We tested the hypothesis that these behavioral responses result from non-jamming stimuli being misperceived as jamming stimuli. Responses to non-jamming stimuli were similar to JARs as measured by modulation rate tuning, sensitivity, and temporal dynamics. There was a smooth transition between the magnitude of JARs and responses to stimuli with variable depths of AM or DPM, suggesting that frequency shifts in response to jamming and non-jamming stimuli represent different points along a continuum rather than categorically distinct behaviors. We also tested the hypothesis that non-jamming stimuli can elicit frequency shifts in natural contexts. Frequency decreases could be elicited by semi-natural AM stimuli, such as random AM, AM presented to a localized portion of the body surface, transient changes in amplitude, and movement of resistive objects through the electric field. We conclude that ‘phantom’ jamming stimuli can induce EOD frequency shifts in natural situations.

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Abbreviations

AM:

Amplitude modulation

Df:

Difference in frequency

DPM:

Differential phase modulation

EOD:

Electric organ discharge

JAR:

Jamming avoidance response

PM:

Phase modulation

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (F32 NS049788 to B.A.C.) and the National Science Foundation (IBN-0235533 to M.K.). These experiments comply with the “Principles of animal care,” publication No. 86-23, revised 1985 of the National Institutes of Health, and were approved by the University of Virginia Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

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  1. Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400328, Charlottesville, VA, 22904-4328, USA

    Bruce A. Carlson & Masashi Kawasaki

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  1. Bruce A. Carlson
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  2. Masashi Kawasaki
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Correspondence to Bruce A. Carlson.

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Carlson, B.A., Kawasaki, M. Behavioral responses to jamming and ‘phantom’ jamming stimuli in the weakly electric fish Eigenmannia . J Comp Physiol A 193, 927–941 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-007-0246-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-007-0246-6

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