Neuronal Analysis of Wave Form in the Time Domain: Midbrain Units in Electric Fish during Social Behavior

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Abstract
A fish of the genus Eigenmannia responds differently to a neighboring conspecific fish with a slightly higher frequency of the electric organ discharge than its own than to one with a slightly lower such frequency than its own. When the two frequencies are beating against each other the special wave shape of the electric organ discharge leads to asymmetries of the beat pattern which are distinct for the two cases. Midbrain neurons, called "ΔF decoders," recognize sign and magnitude of the frequency difference on the basis of these patterns, that is, in the time rather than the frequency domain.