This November is Wikipedia Asian Month

Contents

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  1Electric organ function
  
  • 
    1.1Organ evolution
    
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  2Strongly electric fish
  
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  3Weakly electric fish
  
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  4EOD patterns
  
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    4.1EOD evolution
    
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  5Jamming avoidance response
  
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  6Species
  
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  7See also
  
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  8References
  

Electric organ function[edit]

The function of the electric organ is most prominently self-defense and communication.^[4] Additional functions in some fish also include navigation^[5] and sexually dimorphic signaling.^[10] The organ in many electric fish can produce differing EODs depending on the function. Polarized arrangement of electrolyte cells in some eels (for example the electric eel, Electrophorus electricus) allow the generation of small voltages that can build or add up creating weak or strong currents.^[5] Electrogenic proteins trigger action potential-like sequences that result in the electric potential difference within the cells.^[5] Smaller, weaker currents like those produced by Sach’s organ in electric eels are more energy conservative and therefore utilized for navigation and communication while strong currents like those produced by the main organ in eels are used for predation/hunting and defense.^[5]

As for sexually dimorphic signaling, the organ can be used to produce distinct EOD or sinusoidal signals to be received across species and picked up by individuals.^[10] In one type of weakly electric fish (the brown ghost knifefish, Apteronotus leptorhynchus) two different kinds of chirps are emitted among the males and females depending on the conspecific EOD that is received.^[10]