Maler L, Ellis W G
Behav Brain Res. 1987 Jul;25(1):75-81. doi: 10.1016/0166-4328(87)90046-5.
Apteronotus leptorhynchus is a gymnotid fish producing a constant high frequency electric organ discharge (EOD). Males of this species use transient increases in EOD frequency (chirps) as aggressive signals. They will also shift the frequency of their EOD away from the similar frequency of a nearby conspecific in order to protect their ability to electrolocate (jamming avoidance response, JAR). Monoamines have been implicated as modulatory agents for various sensorimotor and affective systems, including aggressive behaviour. Since these monoamines are present in the brain of this fish (unpublished observation), we have used these simple and quantifiable behaviours to study the role of monoamines, with special emphasis on possible specific effects on aggressive signalling (chirps). When serotonin (0.1 microgram) is injected directly into the ventricle of these fish it briefly inhibits chirping (aggression) without inhibiting the JAR; this is consistent with the hypothesis that, in mammals, serotonin inhibits aggressive behaviour. Noradrenaline (0.1 microgram) enhances both chirping and the JAR. Dopamine (0.1 microgram) enhances the JAR; it has powerful but inconsistent effects on chirping (inhibition or excitation).
线翎电鳗是一种弱电鱼，能产生持续的高频电器官放电（EOD）。该物种的雄性利用EOD频率的短暂增加（鸣叫）作为攻击信号。它们还会将自己EOD的频率从附近同种个体的相似频率上移开，以保护自己的电定位能力（避干扰反应，JAR）。单胺类物质被认为是各种感觉运动和情感系统（包括攻击行为）的调节因子。由于这些单胺类物质存在于这种鱼的大脑中（未发表的观察结果），我们利用这些简单且可量化的行为来研究单胺类物质的作用，特别强调其对攻击信号（鸣叫）可能产生的特定影响。当将血清素（0.1微克）直接注入这些鱼的脑室时，它会短暂抑制鸣叫（攻击行为），但不抑制JAR；这与血清素在哺乳动物中抑制攻击行为的假说一致。去甲肾上腺素（0.1微克）会增强鸣叫和JAR。多巴胺（0.1微克）会增强JAR；它对鸣叫有强大但不一致的影响（抑制或兴奋）。
