TRACKING INDIVIDUAL MORMYRID ELECTRIC FISH IN THE FIELD USING ELECTRIC ORGAN DISCHARGE WAVE-FORMS

Electric organ discharges (EODs) from African mormyrid weakly electric fish can be species-, sex- and individual-specific. In this study, sm all EOD differences were used to track the day-to-day movements of ind ividuals from two species of Brienomyrus in their natural stream habit at in West Africa. Waveforms were digitized and 15 measurements were t aken of amplitude, time and spectral characteristics. For quantitative comparisons, the measurements were transformed by principal component s analysis. By matching similar EODs from one day to the next, best gu esses were made as to the daily movement patterns of individuals. Sexu ally mature males, females and juveniles all tended to return to the s ame daytime hiding place on successive days (median movement of 1 m). (C) 1996 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour