Why Do Mormyrid Fish Have Two Different Signal Systems? (IMAGE)

Washington University in St. Louis

Why Do Mormyrid Fish Have Two Different Signal Systems?

Caption

African fish called mormyrids communicate by means of electric signals (white lines following fish). Research has shown that fish in one group (top five) can glean detailed information from a signal's waveform, but fish in another group (bottom five) are insensitive to waveform variations. What is the neurological basis for this difference in perception?

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Bruce Carlson

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