Differentiation in electrical pulse waveforms in a pair of sibling Dwarf Stonebashers, Pollimyrus castelnaui and P-marianne: possible mechanisms and functions (Mormyridae, Teleostei)

Markowski, Bianca and Baier, Bernd and Kramer, Bernd (2008) Differentiation in electrical pulse waveforms in a pair of sibling Dwarf Stonebashers, Pollimyrus castelnaui and P-marianne: possible mechanisms and functions (Mormyridae, Teleostei). BEHAVIOUR, 145. pp. 115-135. ISSN 0005-7959,

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Abstract

The recently discovered snoutfish Pollimyrus marianne is virtually indistinguishable from its vicariant sibling species P castelnaui by general appearance, but well differentiated in the waveform, of its communication signal, an electric organ discharge (EOD) of the pulse type. We here describe the differentiation in EOD waveform in detail, and also differences between the sexes in P castelnaui. In an attempt to better understand how such strong differentiation is possible in an evolutionarily short time, we mathematically modelled the three successive electrical excitations at the level of the electrocytes that constitute an EOD by three Gaussians. By varying amplitudes, duration and relative delay times, all tri- and pentaphasic EOD waveforms observed in the two species are generated. We suggest that in speciation only slight quantitative modifications in the anatomy and physiology of the electrocytes were necessary to generate spectacular differentiation. Using a spontaneous choice paradigm in untrained fish, four out of four P marianne, and two out of eight P castelnaui showed a preference for conspecific rather than heterospecific playback EODs. The results suggest that EOD waveform differentiation was involved when their common ancestor differentiated into a pair of allopatric sibling species of Dwarf Stonebashers.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: BULLDOG MARCUSENIUS-MACROLEPIDOTUS; GNATHONEMUS-PETERSII MORMYRIDAE; SOUTH-AFRICAN FORM; ORGAN DISCHARGES; FISH; SEX; CAMPYLOMORMYRUS; COMMUNICATION; RECOGNITION; MORPHOLOGY; electric organ discharge; species recognition; sex difference; speciation
Subjects: 500 Science > 590 Zoological sciences
Divisions: Biology, Preclinical Medicine > Institut für Zoologie > Alumni or Retired > Verhaltensbiologie und Verhaltensphysiologie (Prof. Dr. Bernd Kramer)
Depositing User: Dr. Gernot Deinzer
Date Deposited: 11 Nov 2020 09:35
Last Modified: 11 Nov 2020 09:35
URI: https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/31546

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