Species-specific differences in sensorimotor adaptation are correlated with differences in social structure.
Here, we report a species difference in the strength and duration of long-term sensorimotor adaptation in the electromotor output of weakly electric fish. The adaptation is produced by changes in intrinsic excitability in the electromotor pacemaker nucleus; this change is a form of memory that correlates with social structure. A weakly electric fish may be jammed by a similar electric organ discharge (EOD) frequency of another fish and prevents jamming by transiently raising its own emission frequency, a behavior called the jamming avoidance response (JAR). The JAR requires activation of NMDA receptors, and prolonged JAR performance results in long-term frequency elevation (LTFE) of a fish's EOD frequency for many hours after the jamming stimulus. We find that LTFE is stronger in a shoaling species (Eigenmannia virescens) with a higher probability of encountering jamming conspecifics, when compared to a solitary species (Apteronotus leptorhynchus). Additionally, LTFE persists in Eigenmannia, whereas, it decays over 5-9 h in Apteronotus.
Oestreich
Jörg
J
Section of Neurobiology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Zakon
Harold H
HH
D000064:Acclimatization / Q000502:physiology*; D000819:Animal Communication; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004555:Electric Fish / Q000502:physiology*; D004557:Electric Organ / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D012919:Social Behavior; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors