TY - JOUR A1 - Paul, Christiane A1 - Mamonekene, Victor A1 - Vater, Marianne A1 - Feulner, Philine G. D. A1 - Engelmann, Jacob A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Kirschbaum, Frank T1 - Comparative histology of the adult electric organ among four species of the genus Campylomormyrus (Teleostei: Mormyridae) JF - Journal of comparative physiology : A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology N2 - The electric organ (EO) of weakly electric mormyrids consists of flat, disk-shaped electrocytes with distinct anterior and posterior faces. There are multiple species-characteristic patterns in the geometry of the electrocytes and their innervation. To further correlate electric organ discharge (EOD) with EO anatomy, we examined four species of the mormyrid genus Campylomormyrus possessing clearly distinct EODs. In C. compressirostris, C. numenius, and C. tshokwe, all of which display biphasic EODs, the posterior face of the electrocytes forms evaginations merging to a stalk system receiving the innervation. In C. tamandua that emits a triphasic EOD, the small stalks of the electrocyte penetrate the electrocyte anteriorly before merging on the anterior side to receive the innervation. Additional differences in electrocyte anatomy among the former three species with the same EO geometry could be associated with further characteristics of their EODs. Furthermore, in C. numenius, ontogenetic changes in EO anatomy correlate with profound changes in the EOD. In the juvenile the anterior face of the electrocyte is smooth, whereas in the adult it exhibits pronounced surface foldings. This anatomical difference, together with disparities in the degree of stalk furcation, probably contributes to the about 12 times longer EOD in the adult. KW - Mormyridae KW - Campylomormyrus KW - Electric organ discharge KW - Electrocyte geometry KW - Electric organ ontogeny Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-015-0995-6 SN - 0340-7594 SN - 1432-1351 VL - 201 IS - 4 SP - 357 EP - 374 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nagel, Rebecca A1 - Kirschbaum, Frank A1 - Hofmann, Volker A1 - Engelmann, Jacob A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - Electric pulse characteristics can enable species recognition in African weakly electric fish species JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Communication is key to a wide variety of animal behaviours and multiple modalities are often involved in this exchange of information from sender to receiver. The communication of African weakly electric fish, however, is thought to be predominantly unimodal and is mediated by their electric sense, in which species-specific electric organ discharges (EODs) are generated in a context-dependent and thus variable sequence of pulse intervals (SPI). While the primary function of the electric sense is considered to be electrolocation, both of its components likely carry information regarding identity of the sender. However, a clear understanding of their contribution to species recognition is incomplete. We therefore analysed these two electrocommunication components (EOD waveform and SPI statistics) in two sympatric mormyrid Campylomormyrus species. In a set of five playback conditions, we further investigated which components may drive interspecific recognition and discrimination. While we found that both electrocommunication components are species-specific, the cues necessary for species recognition differ between the two species studied. While the EOD waveform and SPI were both necessary and sufficient for species recognition in C. compressirostris males, C. tamandua males apparently utilize other, non-electric modalities. Mapped onto a recent phylogeny, our results suggest that discrimination by electric cues alone may be an apomorphic trait evolved during a recent radiation in this taxon. KW - Dwelling Atlantic Mollies KW - Organ Discharge Patterns KW - Mormyrid Fish KW - Pollimyrus-Isidori KW - Acoustic-Signals KW - Sexual Selection KW - Phylogenetic-Relationships KW - Hypopomus-Occidentalis KW - Convergent Evolution KW - Poecili-Mexicana Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-29132-z SN - 2045-2322 VL - 8 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Nature Publishing Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Feulner, Philine G. D. A1 - Plath, Martin A1 - Engelmann, Jacob A1 - Kirschbaum, Frank A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph T1 - Electrifying love : electric fish use species-specific discharge for mate recognition N2 - Mate choice is mediated by a range of sensory cues, and assortative mating based on these cues can drive reproductive isolation among diverging populations. A specific feature of mormyrid fish, the electric organ discharge (EOD), is used for electrolocation and intraspecific communication. We hypothesized that the EOD also facilitates assortative mating and ultimately promotes prezygotic reproductive isolation in African weakly electric fishes. Our behavioural experiments using live males as well as EOD playback demonstrated that female mate recognition is influenced by EOD signals and that females are attracted to EOD characteristics of conspecific males. The dual function of the EOD for both foraging and social communication (including mate recognition leading to assortative mating) underlines the importance of electric signal differentiation for the divergence of African weakly electric fishes. Thus, the EOD provides an intriguing mechanism promoting trophic divergence and reproductive isolation between two closely related Campylomormyrus species occurring in sympatry in the lower Congo rapids. Y1 - 2009 UR - http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/link.asp?id=110824 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2008.0566 SN - 1744-9561 ER -