Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 24 December 1965:
Vol. 150. no. 3704, pp. 1740 - 1742
DOI: 10.1126/science.150.3704.1740
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Classical Conditioning of Electric Organ Discharge Rate in Mormyrids

Frank J. Mandriota 1, Robert L. Thompson 1, and M. V. L. Bennett 1

1 Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York 10032

Weakly electric fish of the African family Mormyridae emit pulses at variable intervals with a distribution skewed toward longer intervals. Fourteen specimens of the genera Mormyrops, Gnathonemus, and Marcusenius were classically conditioned to increase briefly their discharge frequency. The unconditioned stimulus was electric shock and the conditioned stimulus was light. These results are novel in that the overt conditioned response involves neither secretion nor movement.

To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)