Hopkins C D, Shieh K T, McBride D W, Winslow M
Section of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853, USA.
Brain Behav Evol. 1997;50 Suppl 1:32-59. doi: 10.1159/000113353.
Weakly electric fish of the families Gymnotidae and Hypopomidae (Gymnotiformes) are able to locate the electric discharges from conspecifics or from dipole electrodes, and they demonstrate this by making rapid, well-directed approaches toward these electrical sources. A video tracking system was used to follow the movements of electric fish in a large tank and an analytic method was used for computing the direction and magnitude of the electric field anywhere within the cylindrical test tank. Using a static analysis method, we describe the posture of test fish relative to the electric fields during their approaches to stationary or moving electrical stimuli. Using a dynamic analysis, we examine the movements of the fish including the sign and magnitude of velocity and bending in response to electric fields. Electric fish seek to maintain a zero error angle between their body orientation and the local electric field. They do so by bending their body in the direction of the local electric field. The response has a delay of approximately 0.5 s. Swimming in reverse inverts the direction of the bend. These fish also use 'V-turns' to redirect their swim directions when encountering rapidly-changing electric fields.
裸背电鳗科和低臀电鳗科（裸背电鳗目）的弱电鱼能够定位同种个体或偶极电极发出的放电，它们通过快速、定向地接近这些电信号源来展示这一能力。使用视频跟踪系统追踪大型水箱中电鱼的运动，并采用一种分析方法计算圆柱形测试水箱内任意位置电场的方向和强度。利用静态分析方法，我们描述了测试鱼在接近静止或移动电刺激时相对于电场的姿态。利用动态分析，我们研究了鱼的运动，包括速度的正负和大小以及对电场的弯曲响应。电鱼试图在其身体方向与局部电场之间保持零误差角度。它们通过向局部电场方向弯曲身体来做到这一点。响应有大约0.5秒的延迟。反向游动会使弯曲方向反转。当遇到快速变化的电场时，这些鱼还会用“V形转弯”来重新调整游动方向。
