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Kaia }ackson
Neuiobiology Su2 AB
16 Nay 2u1S
Lab 6 Repoit- Electiopeiception in !"#$%&"'()* ,'$'-*..

Foi the tempoial patteins, we iecoiueu E0Bs fiom the fish foi 4u seconus without
any intentional stimulation (see Figuie 1). The fish changeu the fiequency of its E0B
seveial times, fiom veiy low fiequencies, to about 2u Bz anu back uown again, then back
up. The most fiequent iate of fiiing was about 44 Bz anu occuiieu in the miuule of the
peiiou. By the enu of the iecoiuing, the E0Bs occuiieu at low to no fiequency. We latei
obseiveu that the fiequency of E0Bs incieaseu with noise level in the ioom anu pioximal
conveisation, so patteins heie coulu ieflect stiess of the fish anu its ieaction to noise
stimulus. Bau the electioues we useu been faithei away fiom the animal, the amplituue of
the E0B woulu change, as it vaiies with the uistance away anu iesistance.
When we piesenteu the aluminum plate (see Figuie 2), we founu that the fish
incieaseu its E0Bs to a maximum fiequency of 28 Bz, but only when the plate was moving
towaiu the fish, as we fiist put the plate in the tank away fiom the fish anu helu it
stationaiy anu no change occuiieu. This makes sense, as it shoulu iesponu to the
conuuctive aluminum, as it will change the electiic image of the skin. Inteiestingly, the
tianspaient, non conuuctive plate also eliciteu a similai iesponse, causing maximum E0B
iates of S6 Bz, highei anu moie iesponsive than the fiequency towaius the aluminum plate.
The non conuuctive object also uisiupts E0B shapes, anu is impoitant foi the fish to uetect
non conuuctive objects, especially foi foou foiaging.
When piesenteu with the metallic banana clip enus (see Figuie S), the fish
iesponueu with incieaseu E0Bs that vaiieu with the symmetiy of the clips. Foi placement
of the clips at both the heau anu the tail anu the left anu the iight of the fish, the peak
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fiequency was similai, aiounu SS Bz. The left anu iight iesponse lookeu moie sustaineu
ovei time, but it was haiu to tell, as we hau less uata foi heautail stimulation. Foi the
placement of one clip on eithei the iight oi the left siue, the maximum E0B fiequency was
aiounu 2u Bz, ioughly half the fiequency of the two clip iesponse. This may inuicate that
the gieatei the numbei conuuctive stimuli theie, even if symmetiically suiiounuing the
fish, the moie iobust the E0B iesponse.
We then attempteu to connect two tanks thiough a wiie to see an echo iesponse in
action, but weie unsuccessful. We weie able to see what appeais to be pulses fiom the
othei fish on oui voltage tiace (uata not shown), but theie weie no consistent gaps,
incluuing the 12 ms uominance lag, uetectable between the two fish, inuicating that they
might not have "heaiu" each othei, peihaps because they weie moie than Su cm apait fiom
theii wiies. Anothei possibility is that the 12ms uominance echo iesponse is only piesent
in male-male inteiactions, anu at least one of oui fish was female, anu uoes not
uemonstiate iesponse. All attempts at cioss coiiolellogiams enueu up iefeiencing oui fish,
so that the peak was at u ms, insteau of -12 ms oi 12 ms fiom u as we woulu expect to see
in a uominance iesponse.
Finally, we stimulateu the fish with 2, S, anu 1u v 1 ms simulateu E0Bs anu saw no
vaiying iesponse to the stimuli, although theie was an inciease in fiequency fiom the
contiol fiequency of S Bz (see Figuie 4). Buiing these tests, we noteu that the activity was
saw seemeu to be ielateu to the noise level in the ioom, anu when the ioom was quiet, E0B
fiequency ieally sloweu. We know that the fish aie sensitive to the amount of noise anu
vibiations in the ioom, anu was piobably stiesseu because of ovei stimulation, which may
have affecteu its ability to piouuce typical uominance inteiactions.
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u S 1u 1S 2u 2S Su SS 4u
Time (s)
/.0)-' 12 3'(,&-#4 567 -'*,&"*' &8 *."04' !"#$%&"'()* ,'$'-*..
Electiic oigan uischaige (E0B) of the weakly electiic, pulse emitting elephant nose fish ovei a 4u s long peiiou,
iecoiueu fiom electioues within the tank. The top giaph is a iecoiuing of the E0Bs, wheie time is on the x axis in
seconus anu voltage is on they y axis in v. The bottom plot shows fiequency of E0Bs ovei time foi the uata above,
wheie the x axis is time in seconus, anu the y axis is fiequency in Bz. 0vei the long iecoiuing peiiou, the fish vaiieu
the fiequency of its iesponses gieatly, fiom emitting E0Bs 44 Bz to emitting none at all.

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/.0)-' 92 /-':)'";< =2 $.(' -'*,&"*' $& ,-'*'"$#$.&" &8 ,4#$'* >.$% ?.88'-'"$ ;&"?);$.=.$.'*equency of the fish's
E0B iesponses as a function of time when piesenteu sepaiately with two thin plates, one metal anu the othei
plastic. Time is on the x axis in seconus, anu E0B fiequency is on the y axis in Bz. The plastic plate is
iepiesenteu in blue, anu the aluminum plate in ieu. Time begins at u foi both tiials, iepiesenting the point at
which the plate was submeigeu in the tank, fai fiom the fish. The point at which the plate was moveu towaius
the fish is maikeu foi eithei tiial with an aiiow. Although they hau uiffeient conuuctivities, the maximum
iesponse evokeu foi eithei tiial was similai, aiounu Su Bz. The fiequency of E0B begins to inciease when the
plate begins to move, inuicating that movement helps electiolocation.

/.0)-' @2 /-':)'";< =2 $.(' -'*,&"*'* $& ?.88'-'"$ ,-'*'"$#$.&"* &8 *(#44 ('$#4 &AB';$*
Fiequency of the fish's E0B iesponses as a function of time when piesenteu with one oi both enus of a
banana clip cable in uiffeient oiientations aiounu the bouy. Time is on the x axis in seconus, anu E0B
fiequency is on the y axis in Bz. Clips on left anu iight aie in blue anu heau anu tail aie in gieen, anu one clip
on the iight is in ieu anu on the left is in puiple. Time begins at u foi all tiials, iepiesenting the point at which
the clips was submeigeu in the tank, fai fiom the fish. The point at which the plate was moveu towaius the
fish is maikeu foi eithei tiial with an aiiow. The tiials with two clips placeu symmetiically showeu similai
maximums at ~SS Bz, wheieas the single clip tiials hau smallei maximums aiounu 2u Bz, inuicating that
moie conuuctive stimuli inuuce a gieatei E0B iesponse. The LR tiial also seems to maintain a highei E0B
iate than any of the othei tiials ovei time, noting that uata foi BT enus at 11 seconus on a uownwaiu tienu.

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/.0)-' C2 D'-.*$.()4)* $.(' %.*$&0-#( &8 -'*,&"*' $& *.()4#$'? 567
Peiistimulus time histogiam of fish's E0B iesponses to computei geneiateu of S v, 1 ms long pulses. The
pulses began 2uu ms aftei the 1uuu ms block, anu SS 1uuu ms tiials weie iun anu aveiageu foi this
histogiam. The x axis is time in ms, with bins of 1ums , anu the y axis is E0Bs pei bin. The stimulus is maikeu
as time zeio with the uasheu line. Without the aitificial signal, E0B fiequency is S Bz. }ust aftei the simulateu
E0B, the fish is quiet foi about 1uu ms, anu then goes thiough peiious of high anu low E0B ielease thiough
the iest of the iecoiuing. The long peiiou between the stimulus anu the fish's iesponse might inuicate a
piefeiieu latency iesponse of a non uominant fish.



Time (ms)
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