From the Schnauzenorgan to the back: morphological comparison of mormyromast electroreceptor organs at different skin regions of Gnathonemus petersii. 2012

Monique Amey-Özel, and Michael Hollmann, and Gerhard von der Emde
Institute for Zoology, Department of Neuroethology/Sensory Ecology, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. monique.amey@uni-bonn.de

The nocturnally active weakly electric fish Gnathonemus petersii is known to employ active electrolocation for the detection of objects and for orientation in its environment. The fish emits pulse-type electric signals with an electric organ and perceives these signals with more than 3,000 epidermal electroreceptor organs, the mormyromasts, which are distributed over the animal's skin surface. In this study, we measured the metric dimensions of the mormyromasts from different body regions to find structural and functional specialization of the various body parts. We focused on the two foveal regions of G. petersii, which are located at the elongated and movable chin (the Schnauzenorgan; SO) and at the nasal region (NR), the skin region between the mouth and the nares. These two foveal regions were compared to the dorsal part (back) of the fish, which contains typical nonfoveal mormyromasts. While the gross anatomy of the mormyromasts from all skin regions is similar, the metric dimensions of the main substructures differed. The mormyromasts at the SO are the smallest and contain the smallest receptor cells. In addition, the number of receptor cells per organ is lowest at the SO. In contrast, at the back the biggest receptor organs with the highest amount of receptor cells per organ occur. The mormyromasts at the NR are in several respects intermediate between those from the back and the SO. However, mormyromasts at the NR are longer than those at all other skin regions, the canal leading from the receptor pore to the inner chambers were the longest and the overlaying epidermal layers are the thickest. These results show that mormyromasts and the epidermis they are embedded in at both foveal regions differ specifically from those found on the rest of the body. The morphological specializations lead to functional specialization of the two foveae.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010465 Perception The process by which the nature and meaning of sensory stimuli are recognized and interpreted. Sensory Processing,Processing, Sensory
D011984 Sensory Receptor Cells Specialized afferent neurons capable of transducing sensory stimuli into NERVE IMPULSES to be transmitted to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Sometimes sensory receptors for external stimuli are called exteroceptors; for internal stimuli are called interoceptors and proprioceptors. Nerve Endings, Sensory,Neurons, Sensory,Neuroreceptors,Receptors, Neural,Neural Receptors,Receptors, Sensory,Sensory Neurons,Sensory Receptors,Nerve Ending, Sensory,Neural Receptor,Neuron, Sensory,Neuroreceptor,Receptor Cell, Sensory,Receptor Cells, Sensory,Receptor, Neural,Receptor, Sensory,Sensory Nerve Ending,Sensory Nerve Endings,Sensory Neuron,Sensory Receptor,Sensory Receptor Cell
D004555 Electric Fish Fishes which generate an electric discharge. The voltage of the discharge varies from weak to strong in various groups of fish. The ELECTRIC ORGAN and electroplax are of prime interest in this group. They occur in more than one family. Mormyrid,Mormyridae,Elephantfish,Elephantfishes,Fish, Electric,Mormyrids
D004557 Electric Organ In about 250 species of electric fishes, modified muscle fibers forming disklike multinucleate plates arranged in stacks like batteries in series and embedded in a gelatinous matrix. A large torpedo ray may have half a million plates. Muscles in different parts of the body may be modified, i.e., the trunk and tail in the electric eel, the hyobranchial apparatus in the electric ray, and extrinsic eye muscles in the stargazers. Powerful electric organs emit pulses in brief bursts several times a second. They serve to stun prey and ward off predators. A large torpedo ray can produce of shock of more than 200 volts, capable of stunning a human. (Storer et al., General Zoology, 6th ed, p672) Electric Organs,Organ, Electric,Organs, Electric
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001415 Back The rear surface of an upright primate from the shoulders to the hip, or the dorsal surface of tetrapods.
D012867 Skin The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.
D060726 Torso The central part of the body to which the neck and limbs are attached. Torsos

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