Notes on the electric organ discharges (EODs) of four Mormyrus-species (Osteoglossomorpha: Mormyridae) from the Nilo-Sahelo-Sudan ichthyofaunal province of Africa

Moritz T.

Published date: March 2015
Volume: 39
Number: 1
Pagination: 003-010
doi: https://doi.org/10.26028/cybium/2015-391-001
Notes:

How to cite: Moritz, T. (2015). Notes on the electric organ discharges (EODs) of four Mormyrus-species (Osteoglossomorpha: Mormyridae) from the Nilo-Sahelo-Sudan ichthyofaunal province of Africa. Cybium, 39(1): 3-10. https://doi.org/10.26028/CYBIUM/2015-391-001

Abstract

Field studies on the electric organ discharges (EODs) of Mormyrus species are rare, likely due to their biology hindering live capture in large numbers. Here the EODs of four Nilo-Sahelo-Sudanic species, Mormyrus caschive Linnaeus, 1758, M. kannume Forsskål, 1775, M. hasselquistii Valenciennes, 1847 and M. rume Valen- ciennes, 1847, are compared and discussed. Their discharges are largely equal to each other, mainly showing dif- ferences in length and peak of Fourier transformation with less pronounced differences in the relative amplitude of phases within an EOD. The discharge properties allow species discrimination, at least within eco-regions, and thus likely play a role in species recognition.

Keywords: Africa - Electric organ discharge (EOD) - Elephant-snout fish - Mormyridae - Mormyrus species - Weakly electric fish
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