Electroreception of Constant and Alternating Fields by the Catfish Ictalurus nebulosus.

Abstract

Detection thresholds of a catfish Ictalurus nebulosus to composites of single-frequency square-wave electric fields added to constant electric fields were measured. Thresholds were determined for electrical signals at six different dc to square-wave amplitude ratios ranging from 1:8 to 4:1. Its peak sensitivity was found to be near 5 Hz. The catfish responded primarily to the dc part of the signal when the dc amplitude was much larger than the amplitude of 1 or 5 Hz square waves. Conversely, it responded to the 1 or 5 Hz square-wave part of the signal when the square-wave amplitude was much larger than the dc. But it responded only to the dc part of a dc + 32 Hz composite signal regardless of the relative amplitudes. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 21, 1982
Accession Number
ADA120443

Entities

People

  • C S Johnson

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amplitude
  • Animal Structures
  • Biological Sciences
  • Composite Materials
  • Detection
  • Electric Fields
  • Electrodes
  • Fish
  • Frequency
  • Frequency Response
  • Materials
  • Oceanography
  • Square Waves
  • Standards
  • Voltage
  • Waveforms
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aquatic Ecology
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Radar Systems Engineering.