Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Acoustic response properties of single units in the torus semicircularis of the goldfish, Carassius auratus

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Comparative Physiology A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Single units of the goldfish torus semicircularis (TS) were recorded in response to pure tones. Response areas (RA) were obtained by recording the number of spikes evoked by tones in a range of frequencies and levels within the units' dynamic range. RAs gave estimates of best sensitivity (BS), characteristic frequency (CF), most excitatory frequency at each level (BF), and Q10dB. Peri-stimulus-time histograms (PSTH), interspike interval histograms (ISIH), and period histograms were obtained at various frequencies and levels to describe the units' temporal response patterns.

The distribution of CF is nonuniform with modes at 155, 455, and 855 Hz. The distribution of the coefficient of synchronization to standard tones is also nonuniform, revealing a dichotomy between units with little or no phase-locking and those that phase-lock strongly. PSTHs for units without significant phase-locking vary widely and include patterns resembling those of the mammalian auditory brainstem. Compared with saccular afferents, torus units tend to have lower spontaneous rates, greater sensitivity, and sharper tuning. Unlike saccular afferents, BF is independent of level for most torus units. Some torus units are similar to saccular afferents while others reveal significant transformations of information between the periphery and the midbrain.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BF:

best frequency

BS:

best sensitivity

CF:

characteristic frequency

ISIH:

inter-spike interval histogram

PSTH:

peri-stimulus-time histogram

RA:

response area

TS:

torus semicircularis

References

  • Andersen RA, Enger PS (1968) Microphonic potentials from the sacculus of a teleost fish. Comp Biochem Physiol 27:879–881

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson DJ (1973) Quantitative model for the effects of stimulus frequency upon synchronization of auditory nerve discharges. J Acoust Soc Am 54:361–364

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Batschelet E (1981) The Rayleigh test. In: Batschelet E (ed) Circular statistics in biology. Academic Press Inc, New York, pp 54–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Coombs S, Fay RR (1989) The temporal evolution of masking and frequency selectivity in the goldfish (Carassius auratus). J Acoust Soc Am 86:925–933

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford JD (1991a) Midbrain auditory physiology in two species of mormyrid fish. Soc Neurosci, abstract 592.1

  • Crawford JD (1991b) Sex recognition by electric cues in a sound- producing mormyrid fish, Pollimyrus isidori. Brain Behav Evol 38:20–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford JD (1993) Central auditory neurophysiology of a sound- producing fish: the mesencephalon of Pollimyrus isidori (Mormyridae). J Comp Physiol A 172:139–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Dowben RM, Rose JD (1953) A metal-filled microelectrode. Science 118:22

    Google Scholar 

  • Echteler SM (1985a) Organization of central auditory pathways in a teleost fish, Cyprinus carpio. J Comp Physiol A 156:267–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Echteler SM (1985b) Tonotopic organization in the midbrain of a teleost fish. Brain Res 338:387–391

    Google Scholar 

  • Enger PS (1967) Hearing in herring. Comp Biochem Physiol 22:527–538

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1969) Behavioral audiogram for the goldfish. J Aud Res 9:112–121

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1970) Auditory frequency discrimination in the goldfish. J Comp Physiol Psychol 73:175–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1978a) Coding information in single auditory nerve fibers of the goldfish. J Acoust Soc Amer 63:136–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1978b) Phase-locking in goldfish saccular nerve fibers accounts for frequency discrimination capacities. Nature 275:320–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1980) Psychophysics and neurophysiology of temporal factors in hearing by the goldfish: amplitude modulation detection. J Neurophysiol 44:312–332

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1982a) Neural mechanisms of an auditory temporal discrimination by the goldfish. J Comp Physiol 147:201–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1982b) Representation of sound pressure and particle motion information in the midbrain of the goldfish. Comp Biochem Physiol A 71:181–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1984) The goldfish ear codes the axis of acoustic particle motion in three dimensions. Science 225:951–954

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1985) Sound intensity processing by the goldfish. J Acoust Soc Amer 78:1296–1309

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1988) Hearing in vertebrates: A psychophysics databook. Hill-Fay Associates, Winnetka, Illinois

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1990) Suppression and excitation in auditory nerve fibers of the goldfish (Carassius auratus). Hearing Res 48:93–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1991) Masking and suppression in auditory nerve fibers of the goldfish. Hearing Res 55:177–187

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR (1992) Analytic listening by the goldfish. Hearing Res 59:101–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR, Coombs S (1983) Neural mechanisms in sound detection and temporal summation. Hearing Res 10:69–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR, Coombs S (1992) Psychometric functions for level discrimination in the goldfish (Carassius auratus): psychophysics and neurophysiology. J Acoust Soc Amer 92:189–201

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR, Lu Z (1992) Auditory midbrain cells in goldfish: Transformations of peripheral input. Soc Neurosci, Abstr 18:382

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR, Ream TJ (1986) Acoustic response and tuning in saccular nerve fibers of the goldfish (Carassius auratus). J Acoust Soc Amer 79:1883–1895

    Google Scholar 

  • Fay RR, Yost WA, Coombs S (1983) Psychophysics and neurophysiology of repetition noise processing in a vertebrate auditory system. Hearing Res 12:31–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Fritzsch B, Niemann U, Bleckmann H (1990) A discrete projection of the sacculus and lagena to a distinct brainstem nucleus in a catfish. Neurosci Lett 111:7–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Furukawa T, Ishii Y (1967) Neurophysiological studies on hearing in goldfish. J Neurophysiol 30:1377–1403

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Horner K, Sand O, Enger PS (1980) Binaural interaction in the cod. J Exp Biol 85:323–331

    Google Scholar 

  • Köppl C, Manley G (1990) Peripheral auditory processing in the bobtail lizard, Tiliqua rugosa. III. Patterns of spontaneous and tone-evoked nerve fibre activity. J Comp Physiol A 167:113–127

    Google Scholar 

  • Manley G, Gleich O (1992) Evolution and specialization of function in the avian auditory periphery. In: Webster D, Fay RR, Popper A (eds) The evolutionary biology of hearing. Springer, New York, pp 561–580

    Google Scholar 

  • McCormick CA (1990) Evolution of central auditory pathways in anamniotes. In: Douglas BW, Fay RR, Popper AN (eds) The evolutionary biology of hearing. Springer, New York, pp 323–350

    Google Scholar 

  • McCormick CA, Hernandez DV, Braford MR (1992) Acoustic areas in the hindbrain and midbrain of the goldfish. Soc Neurosci, Abstr 143.3:327

    Google Scholar 

  • Narins P (1987) Coding of signals in noise by amphibian auditory nerve fibers. Hearing Res 26:145–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Nederstigt LJA, Schellart NAM (1986) Acousticolateral processing in the torus semicircularis of the trout (Salmo gairdneri). Pflügers Arch 406:151–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Page CH (1970) Electrophysiological study of auditory responses in the goldfish brain. J Neurophysiol 33:116–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Piddington RW (1971a) Central control of auditory input in the goldfish. I. Effect of shocks to the midbrain. J Exp Biol 55:569–584

    Google Scholar 

  • Piddington RW (1971b) Central control of auditory input in the goldfish. II. Evidence of action in the free-swimming animal. J Exp Biol 55:585–610

    Google Scholar 

  • Plassmann W (1985) Coding of amplitude-modulated tones in the central auditory system of catfish. Hearing Res 17:209–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Platt C (1977) Hair cell distribution and orientation in goldfish otolith organs. J Comp Neurol 172:283–297

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rhode W, Greenberg S (1992) Physiology of the cochlear nuclei. In: Popper AN, Fay RR (eds) The mammalian auditory pathway: Neurophysiology. Springer, New York, pp 94–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruggero M (1992) Physiology and coding of sound in the auditory nerve. In: Popper AN, Fay RR (eds) The mammalian auditory pathway: Neurophysiology. Springer, New York, pp 34–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Sand O, Michelsen A (1977) Vibration measurement of the perch saccular otolith. J Comp Physiol 123:85–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawa M (1976) Auditory responses from single neurons of the medulla oblongata in the goldfish. Bull Jap Soc Sci Fish 42(2): 141–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Schellart NAM, Kroese ABA (1989) Interrelationship of acousticolateral and visual systems in the teleost midbrain. In: Coombs S, Görner P, Münz H (eds) The mechanosensory lateral line: Neurobiology and evolution. Springer, New York, pp 421–443

    Google Scholar 

  • Schellart, NAM, Kamermans M, Nederstigt LJA (1987) An electrophysiological study of the topographical organization of the multisensory torus semicircularis of the rainbow trout. Comp Biochem Physiol 406:151–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Shofner WP, Young E (1985) Excitatory/inhibitory response types in the cochlear nucleus: relationships to discharge patterns and responses to electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve, J Neurophysiol 54(4): 917–939

    Google Scholar 

  • Striedter G (1991) Auditory, electrosensory, and mechanosensory lateral line pathways through the forebrain in channel catfishes. J Comp Neurol 312:311–331

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugihara I, Furukawa T (1989) Morphological and functional aspects of two different types of hair cells in the goldfish sacculus. J Neurophysiol 62(6): 1330–1340

    Google Scholar 

  • Voigt HF, Young E (1980) Evidence of inhibitory interactions between neurons in dorsal cochlear nucleus. J Neurophysiol 44(1): 76–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, ED, Robert JM, Shoftner WP (1988) Regularity and latency of units in ventral cochlear nucleus: Implications for unit classification and generation of response properties. J Neurophysiol 60:1–29

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Parmly Hearing Institute and Department of Psychology, Loyola University of Chicago, 6525 N. Sheridan Rd, 60626, Chicago, IL, USA

    Z. Lu & R. R. Fay

Authors
  1. Z. Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. R. Fay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lu, Z., Fay, R.R. Acoustic response properties of single units in the torus semicircularis of the goldfish, Carassius auratus . J Comp Physiol A 173, 33–48 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00209616

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00209616

Key words

Search

Navigation