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Camargo AS, Caputi AA, Aguilera PA. The sensory effects of light on the electric organ discharge rate of Gymnotus omarorum. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245489. [PMID: 37408509 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Gymnotiformes are nocturnal fishes inhabiting the root mats of floating plants. They use their electric organ discharge (EOD) to explore the environment and to communicate. Here, we show and describe tonic and phasic sensory-electromotor responses to light distinct from indirect effects depending on the light-induced endogenous circadian rhythm. In the dark, principally during the night, inter-EOD interval histograms are bimodal: the main peak corresponds to the basal rate and a secondary peak corresponds to high-frequency bouts. Light causes a twofold tonic but opposing effect on the EOD histogram: (i) decreasing the main mode and (ii) blocking the high-frequency bouts and consequently increasing the main peak at the expense of removal of the secondary one. Additionally, light evokes phasic responses whose amplitude increases with intensity but whose slow time course and poor adaptation differentiate from the so-called novelty responses evoked by abrupt changes in sensory stimuli of other modalities. We confirmed that Gymnotus omarorum tends to escape from light, suggesting that these phasic responses are probably part of a global 'light-avoidance response'. We interpret the data within an ecological context. Fish rest under the shade of aquatic plants during the day and light spots due to the sun's relative movement alert the fish to hide in shady zones to avoid macroptic predators and facilitate tracking the movement of floating plant islands by wind and/or water currents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana S Camargo
- Unidad de Neurociencias Integrativas y Computacionales, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, MEC, Av.Italia 3318, CP 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Angel A Caputi
- Unidad de Neurociencias Integrativas y Computacionales, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, MEC, Av.Italia 3318, CP 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Pedro A Aguilera
- Unidad de Neurociencias Integrativas y Computacionales, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, MEC, Av.Italia 3318, CP 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay
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2
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Skeels S, von der Emde G, Burt de Perera T. Mormyrid fish as models for investigating sensory-motor integration: A behavioural perspective. J Zool (1987) 2023; 319:243-253. [PMID: 38515784 PMCID: PMC10953462 DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Animals possess senses which gather information from their environment. They can tune into important aspects of this information and decide on the most appropriate response, requiring coordination of their sensory and motor systems. This interaction is bidirectional. Animals can actively shape their perception with self-driven motion, altering sensory flow to maximise the environmental information they are able to extract. Mormyrid fish are excellent candidates for studying sensory-motor interactions, because they possess a unique sensory system (the active electric sense) and exhibit notable behaviours that seem to be associated with electrosensing. This review will take a behavioural approach to unpicking this relationship, using active electrolocation as an example where body movements and sensing capabilities are highly related and can be assessed in tandem. Active electrolocation is the process where individuals will generate and detect low-voltage electric fields to locate and recognise nearby objects. We will focus on research in the mormyrid Gnathonemus petersii (G. petersii), given the extensive study of this species, particularly its object recognition abilities. By studying object detection and recognition, we can assess the potential benefits of self-driven movements to enhance selection of biologically relevant information. Finally, these findings are highly relevant to understanding the involvement of movement in shaping the sensory experience of animals that use other sensory modalities. Understanding the overlap between sensory and motor systems will give insight into how different species have become adapted to their environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Skeels
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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Langova V, Horka P, Hubeny J, Novak T, Vales K, Adamek P, Holubova K, Horacek J. Ketamine disrupts locomotion and electrolocation in a novel model of schizophrenia, Gnathonemus petersii fish. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:1098-1106. [PMID: 36866610 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
The present study aimed to examine a weakly electric fish Gnathonemus petersii (G. petersii) as a candidate model organism of glutamatergic theory of schizophrenia. The idea of G. petersii elevating the modeling of schizophrenia symptoms is based on the fish's electrolocation and electrocommunication abilities. Fish were exposed to the NMDA antagonist ketamine in two distinct series differing in the dose of ketamine. The main finding revealed ketamine-induced disruption of the relationship between electric signaling and behavior indicating impairment of fish navigation. Moreover, lower doses of ketamine significantly increased locomotion and erratic movement and higher doses of ketamine reduced the number of electric organ discharges indicating successful induction of positive schizophrenia-like symptoms and disruption of fish navigation. Additionally, a low dose of haloperidol was used to test the normalization of the positive symptoms to suggest a predictive validity of the model. However, although successfully induced, positive symptoms were not normalized using the low dose of haloperidol; hence, more doses of the typical antipsychotic haloperidol and probably also of a representative of atypical antipsychotic drugs need to be examined to confirm the predictive validity of the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Langova
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.,Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Horka
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Hubeny
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Novak
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Vales
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Adamek
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.,Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Katerina Holubova
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Horacek
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.,Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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Linking active sensing and spatial learning in weakly electric fish. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:1-10. [PMID: 34392168 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Weakly electric fish can learn the spatial layout of their environment using only their short-range electric sense. During spatial learning, active sensing motions are used to memorize landmark locations so that they can serve as anchors for idiothetic-based navigation. A hindbrain feedback circuit selectively amplifies the electrosensory input arising from these motions. The ascending electrolocation pathway preferentially transmits this information to the pallial regions involved in spatial learning and navigation. Similarities in both behavioral patterns and hindbrain circuitry of gymnotiform and mormyrid fish, two families that independently evolved their electrosense, suggest that amplification and transmission of active sensing motion inputs are fundamental mechanisms for spatial memory acquisition.
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Salena MG, Turko AJ, Singh A, Pathak A, Hughes E, Brown C, Balshine S. Understanding fish cognition: a review and appraisal of current practices. Anim Cogn 2021; 24:395-406. [PMID: 33595750 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01488-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
With over 30,000 recognized species, fishes exhibit an extraordinary variety of morphological, behavioural, and life-history traits. The field of fish cognition has grown markedly with numerous studies on fish spatial navigation, numeracy, learning, decision-making, and even theory of mind. However, most cognitive research on fishes takes place in a highly controlled laboratory environment and it can therefore be difficult to determine whether findings generalize to the ecology of wild fishes. Here, we summarize four prominent research areas in fish cognition, highlighting some of the recent advances and key findings. Next, we survey the literature, targeting these four areas, and quantify the nearly ubiquitous use of captive-bred individuals and a heavy reliance on lab-based research. We then discuss common practices that occur prior to experimentation and within experiments that could hinder our ability to make more general conclusions about fish cognition, and suggest possible solutions. By complementing ecologically relevant laboratory-based studies with in situ cognitive tests, we will gain further inroads toward unraveling how fishes learn and make decisions about food, mates, and territories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Salena
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Andy J Turko
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Angad Singh
- Department of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Avani Pathak
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emily Hughes
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Culum Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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6
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How range residency and long-range perception change encounter rates. J Theor Biol 2020; 498:110267. [PMID: 32275984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2020.110267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Encounter rates link movement strategies to intra- and inter-specific interactions, and therefore translate individual movement behavior into higher-level ecological processes. Indeed, a large body of interacting population theory rests on the law of mass action, which can be derived from assumptions of Brownian motion in an enclosed container with exclusively local perception. These assumptions imply completely uniform space use, individual home ranges equivalent to the population range, and encounter dependent on movement paths actually crossing. Mounting empirical evidence, however, suggests that animals use space non-uniformly, occupy home ranges substantially smaller than the population range, and are often capable of nonlocal perception. Here, we explore how these empirically supported behaviors change pairwise encounter rates. Specifically, we derive novel analytical expressions for encounter rates under Ornstein-Uhlenbeck motion, which features non-uniform space use and allows individual home ranges to differ from the population range. We compare OU-based encounter predictions to those of Reflected Brownian Motion, from which the law of mass action can be derived. For both models, we further explore how the interplay between the scale of perception and home-range size affects encounter rates. We find that neglecting realistic movement and perceptual behaviors can lead to systematic, non-negligible biases in encounter-rate predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim G. Frommen
- Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Hinterkappelen Switzerland
- Department of Natural Sciences Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK
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9
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Sovrano VA, Potrich D, Foà A, Bertolucci C. Extra-Visual Systems in the Spatial Reorientation of Cavefish. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17698. [PMID: 30523284 PMCID: PMC6283829 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36167-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Disoriented humans and animals are able to reorient themselves using environmental geometry ("metric properties" and "sense") and local features, also relating geometric to non-geometric information. Here we investigated the presence of these reorientation spatial skills in two species of blind cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus and Phreatichthys andruzzii), in order to understand the possible role of extra-visual senses in similar spatial tasks. In a rectangular apparatus, with all homogeneous walls (geometric condition) or in presence of a tactilely different wall (feature condition), cavefish were required to reorient themselves after passive disorientation. We provided the first evidence that blind cavefish, using extra-visual systems, were able i) to use geometric cues, provided by the shape of the tank, in order to recognize two geometric equivalent corners on the diagonal, and ii) to integrate the geometric information with the salient cue (wall with a different surface structure), in order to recover a specific corner. These findings suggest the ecological salience of the environmental geometry for spatial orientation in animals and, despite the different niches of adaptation, a potential shared background for spatial navigation. The geometric spatial encoding seems to constitute a common cognitive tool needed when the environment poses similar requirements to living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Anna Sovrano
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
| | - Davide Potrich
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Augusto Foà
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Cristiano Bertolucci
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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Worm M, Kirschbaum F, von der Emde G. Disembodying the invisible: electrocommunication and social interactions by passive reception of a moving playback signal. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:jeb.172890. [PMID: 29361599 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.172890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Mormyrid weakly electric fish have a special electrosensory modality that allows them to actively sense their environment and to communicate with conspecifics by emitting sequences of electric signals. Electroreception is mediated by different types of dermal electroreceptor organs for active electrolocation and electrocommunication, respectively. During electrocommunication, mormyrids exhibit stereotyped discharge sequences and locomotor patterns, which can be induced by playback of electric signals. This raises the question: what sensory information is required to initiate and sustain social interactions, and which electrosensory pathway mediates such interactions? By experimentally excluding stimuli from vision and the lateral line system, we show that Mormyrus rume proboscirostris can rely exclusively on its electrosensory system to track a mobile source of electric communication signals. Detection of electric playback signals induced discharge cessations, followed by double-pulse patterns. The animals tried to interact with the moving signal source and synchronized their discharge activity to the playback. These behaviors were absent in control trials without playback. Silencing the electric organ in some fish did not impair their ability to track the signal source. Silenced fish followed on trajectories similar to those obtained from intact animals, indicating that active electrolocation is no precondition for close-range interactions based on electrocommunication. However, some silenced animals changed their strategy when searching for the stationary playback source, which indicates passive sensing. Social interactions among mormyrids can therefore be induced and mediated by passive reception of electric communication signals without the need for perception of the location of the signal source through other senses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Worm
- University of Bonn, Institute of Zoology, Neuroethology/Sensory Ecology, Meckenheimer Allee 169, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Frank Kirschbaum
- Humboldt University of Berlin, Faculty of Life Sciences, Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Philippstraße 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerhard von der Emde
- University of Bonn, Institute of Zoology, Neuroethology/Sensory Ecology, Meckenheimer Allee 169, 53115 Bonn, Germany
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