02502nas a2200145   4500008004100000022001300041245011400054210006900168260001600237520196500253100002202218700002902240700002102269856006602290       2016                        eng d  a0928425700aObject discrimination through active electrolocation: Shape recognition and the influence of electrical noise0 aObject discrimination through active electrolocation Shape recog  cJan-12-20163 a<p>The weakly electric fish Gnathonemus petersii can recognise objects using active electrolocation. Here, we tested two aspects of object recognition; first whether shape recognition might be influenced by movement of the fish, and second whether object discrimination is affected by the presence of electrical noise from conspecifics. (i) Unlike other object features, such as size or volume, no parameter within a single electrical image has been found that encodes object shape. We investigated whether shape recognition might be facilitated by movement-induced modulations (MIM) of the set of electrical images that are created as a fish swims past an object. Fish were trained to discriminate between pairs of objects that either created similar or dissimilar levels of MIM of the electrical images. As predicted, the fish were able to discriminate between objects up to a longer distance if there was a large difference in MIM between the objects than if there was a small difference. This supports an involvement of MIMs in shape recognition but the use of other cues cannot be excluded. (ii) Electrical noise might impair object recognition if the noise signals overlap with the EODs of an electrolocating fish. To avoid jamming, we predicted that fish might employ pulsing strategies to prevent overlaps. To investigate the influence of electrical noise on discrimination performance, two fish were tested either in the presence of a conspecific or of playback signals and the electric signals were recorded during the experiments. The fish were surprisingly immune to jamming by conspecifics: While the discrimination performance of one fish dropped to chance level when more than 22% of its EODs overlapped with the noise signals, the performance of the other fish was not impaired even when all its EODs overlapped. Neither of the fish changed their pulsing behaviour, suggesting that they did not use any kind of jamming avoidance strategy.</p>
1 aSchumacher, Sarah1 ade Perera, Theresa, Burt1 avon der Emde, G.  uhttp://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S092842571630030401997nas a2200229   4500008004100000022001300041245008100054210006900135260001600204520128400220653001101504653001801515653001901533653001301552653002001565653001601585100002601601700002901627700002201656700002301678856006601701       2016                        eng d  a0928425700aElectric Fish Genomics: Progress, Prospects, and New Tools for Neuroethology0 aElectric Fish Genomics Progress Prospects and New Tools for Neur  cJan-10-20163 a<p>Electric fish have served as a model system in biology since the 18th century, providing deep insight into the nature of bioelectrogenesis, the molecular structure of the synapse, and brain circuitry underlying complex behavior. Neuroethologists have collected extensive phenotypic data that span biological levels of analysis from molecules to ecosystems. This phenotypic data, together with genomic resources obtained over the past decades, have motivated new and exciting hypotheses that position the weakly electric fish model to address fundamental 21st century biological questions. This review article considers the molecular data collected for weakly electric fish over the past three decades, and the insights that data of this nature has motivated. For readers relatively new to molecular genetics techniques, we also provide a table of terminology aimed at clarifying the numerous acronyms and techniques that accompany this field. Next, we pose a research agenda for expanding genomic resources for electric fish research over the next 10 years. We conclude by considering some of the exciting research prospects for neuroethology that electric fish genomics may offer over the coming decades, if the electric fish community is successful in these endeavors.</p>
10aCRISPR10aelectric fish10agenome editing10agenomics10atranscriptomics10atransgenics1 aPitchers, William, R.1 aConstantinou, Savvas, J.1 aLosilla, Mauricio1 aGallant, Jason, R.  uhttp://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0928425716300079