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  - 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  -