Summary
Electric fish locate objects in their environment by sensing the distortions which such objects cause in the electric field of their own electric organ discharge (EOD). Extraneous electrical signals, such as discharges of other electric fish, are a potential source of confusion. Behavior experiments with artificial EODs indicate that fish of the family Mormyridae minimize such interference by gating electrosensory input. Input is only considered relevant if it arrives during a brief period after the motor command which elicits the normal EOD. These results confirm an earlier physiologically-based hypothesis that a corollary discharge mechanism assures preferential access to the electrolocation system for sensory input elicited by an animal's own EOD.
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Abbreviations
- EOD :
-
electric organ discharge
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Meyer, J.H., Bell, C.C. Sensory gating by a corollary discharge mechanism. J. Comp. Physiol. 151, 401–406 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00605456
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00605456