Hearing and acoustic communication in mormyrid electric fishes

The Mormyridae are a diverse group of African freshwater fishes all of which have sophisticated electrosensory systems and specialization of the inner ear for detecting sound pressure. Neurophysiological and behavioral studies have shown that these animals are very sensitive to sound. Four species are now known to produce sounds for social communication. Within the genus Pollimyrus, males of two species produce elaborate species‐specific sonic displays during courtship. Electric signals emitted by females are the primary releaser for the male's sonic display. The auditory pathway from the ear to the mesencephalon includes four processing areas in the medulla, a lemniscal nucleus and a major processing center in the mesencephalon. Acoustic responses are transformed along this pathway and some neurons in the mesencephalon show specificity for complex features of communication sounds.