02093nas a2200169   4500008004100000245010600041210006900147260001600216490000600232520152800238100001901766700002201785700002001807700002101827700002101848856005401869       2018                        eng d00aElectric pulse characteristics can enable species recognition in African weakly electric fish species0 aElectric pulse characteristics can enable species recognition in  cJan-12-20180 v83 a<p>Communication is key to a wide variety of animal behaviours and multiple modalities are often involved in this exchange of information from sender to receiver. The communication of African weakly electric fish, however, is thought to be predominantly unimodal and is mediated by their electric sense, in which species-specific electric organ discharges (EODs) are generated in a context-dependent and thus variable sequence of pulse intervals (SPI). While the primary function of the electric sense is considered to be electrolocation, both of its components likely carry information regarding identity of the sender. However, a clear understanding of their contribution to species recognition is incomplete. We therefore analysed these two electrocommunication components (EOD waveform and SPI statistics) in two sympatric mormyrid Campylomormyrus species. In a set of five playback conditions, we further investigated which components may drive interspecific recognition and discrimination. While we found that both electrocommunication components are species-specific, the cues necessary for species recognition differ between the two species studied. While the EOD waveform and SPI were both necessary and sufficient for species recognition in C. compressirostris males, C. tamandua males apparently utilize other, non-electric modalities. Mapped onto a recent phylogeny, our results suggest that discrimination by electric cues alone may be an apomorphic trait evolved during a recent radiation in this taxon.</p>
1 aNagel, Rebecca1 aKirschbaum, Frank1 aHofmann, Volker1 aEngelmann, Jacob1 aTiedemann, Ralph  uhttp://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-29132-z