The effect of decreasing and increasing temperature on the frequency of the electric organ discharge in Eigenmannia sp

Abstract

• 1.

  1. A device was designed for accurate and automatic measurement of the frequency/temperature relationship of the electric discharge in a weakly electric fish, Eigenmannia sp.

• 2.

  2. The observed hysteresis for increasing and decreasing temperatures was in the range of 2–4 per cent, maximal 10 per cent.

• 3.

  3. The low values of hysteresis explains, in this respect, the negative results of Enger & Szabo (1968) who used measuring methods which were not sufficiently accurate.