Statistics of Natural Communication Signals Observed in the Wild Identify Important Yet Neglected Stimulus Regimes in Weakly Electric Fish.

ABSTRACT: Sensory systems evolve in the ecological niches that each species is occupying. Accordingly, encoding of natural stimuli by sensory neurons is expected to be adapted to the statistics of these stimuli. For a direct quantification of sensory scenes, we tracked natural communication behavior of male and female weakly electric fish, Apteronotus rostratus, in their Neotropical rainforest habitat with high spatiotemporal resolution over several days. In the context of courtship, we observed large quantities of electrocommunication signals. Echo responses, acknowledgment signals, and their synchronizing role in spawning demonstrated the behavioral relevance of these signals. In both courtship and aggressive contexts, we observed robust behavioral responses in stimulus regimes that have so

SUBMITTER: Henninger J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8174138 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature