Electric signal synchronization as a behavioural strategy to generate social attention in small groups of mormyrid weakly electric fish and a mobile fish robot.

African weakly electric fish communicate at night by constantly emitting and perceiving brief electrical signals (electric organ discharges, EOD) at variable inter-discharge intervals (IDI). While the waveform of single EODs contains information about the sender's identity, the variable IDI patterns convey information about its current motivational and behavioural state. Pairs of fish can synchronize their EODs to each other via echo responses, and we have previously formulated a 'social attention hypothesis' stating that fish use echo responses to address specific individuals and establish brief dyadic communication frameworks within a group.

Evidence for mutual allocation of social attention through interactive signaling in a mormyrid weakly electric fish.

Mormyrid weakly electric fish produce electric organ discharges (EODs) for active electrolocation and electrocommunication. These pulses are emitted with variable interdischarge intervals (IDIs) resulting in temporal discharge patterns and interactive signaling episodes with nearby conspecifics. However, unequivocal assignment of interactive signaling to a specific behavioral context has proven to be challenging.

Disembodying the invisible: electrocommunication and social interactions by passive reception of a moving playback signal.

Mormyrid weakly electric fish have a special electrosensory modality that allows them to actively sense their environment and to communicate with conspecifics by emitting sequences of electric signals. Electroreception is mediated by different types of dermal electroreceptor organs for active electrolocation and electrocommunication, respectively. During electrocommunication, mormyrids exhibit stereotyped discharge sequences and locomotor patterns, which can be induced by playback of electric signals.

Social interactions between live and artificial weakly electric fish: Electrocommunication and locomotor behavior of Mormyrus rume proboscirostris towards a mobile dummy fish.

Mormyrid weakly electric fish produce short, pulse-type electric organ discharges for actively probing their environment and to communicate with conspecifics. Animals emit sequences of pulse-trains that vary in overall frequency and temporal patterning and can lead to time-locked interactions with the discharge activity of other individuals. Both active electrolocation and electrocommunication are additionally accompanied by stereotypical locomotor patterns.

Investigation of Collective Behaviour and Electrocommunication in the Weakly Electric Fish, Mormyrus rume, through a biomimetic Robotic Dummy Fish.

A robotic fish has been developed to create a mixed bio-hybrid system made up of weakly electric fish and a mobile dummy fish. Weakly electric fish are capable of interacting with each other via sequences of self-generated electric signals during electrocommunication. Here we present the design of an artificial dummy fish, which is subsequently tested in behavioural experiments.