Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Introduction to Special Senses01:26

Introduction to Special Senses

9.4K
Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive...
9.4K
Sensory Modalities01:15

Sensory Modalities

4.4K
Sensation typically is the process by which the sensory receptors and sense organs detect stimuli from the internal and external environment and transmit this information to the central nervous system for processing.
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
4.4K
Fixed Action Patterns01:06

Fixed Action Patterns

18.1K
A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
18.1K
Communication01:03

Communication

9.0K
Communication between two animals occurs when one animal transmits an information signal that causes a change in the animal that receives the information. Organisms communicate with one another in a host of different ways. Signals can be auditory, chemical, visual, tactile, or a combination of these. Communication is a critical behavioral adaptation that promotes survival, growth, and reproduction.
9.0K
Osmoregulation in Fishes02:32

Osmoregulation in Fishes

55.0K
When cells are placed in a hypotonic (low-salt) fluid, they can swell and burst. Meanwhile, cells in a hypertonic solution—with a higher salt concentration—can shrivel and die. How do fish cells avoid these gruesome fates in hypotonic freshwater or hypertonic seawater environments?
55.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Spatiotemporal intermittence effect on periphyton microbial communities in a tropical drying river network.

ISME communications·2026
Same author

Cryptic diversity in Astroblepus (Siluriformes: Astroblepidae): Integrative taxonomy reveals evolutionary complexity in the Esmeraldas River Basin, Ecuador.

PloS one·2026
Same author

Rapid Divergence of Visual Systems and Signaling Traits to Contrasting Light Regimes During Early Speciation of African Crater Lake Cichlid Fish.

Molecular biology and evolution·2025
Same author

Whole genome sequencing identifies genetic candidates for high-frequency hearing loss in canaries (serinus canaria).

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2025
Same author

Exceptional concentration of fish diversity in Yasuní National Park, Ecuador (Napo River Basin).

Biodiversity data journal·2025
Same author

River Drying Causes Local Losses and Regional Gains in Aquatic Invertebrate Metacommunity Diversity: A Cross-Continental Comparison.

Global change biology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish
10:56

Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish

Published on: March 6, 2014

13.1K

Sensory modalities in cichlid fish behavior.

Daniel Escobar-Camacho1, Karen L Carleton1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.

Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences
|December 23, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cichlids, a diverse fish group, utilize varied sensory systems including hearing, vision, and olfaction for environmental interaction. Understanding these systems is key to cichlid evolution and behavior research.

More Related Videos

Integrating Visual Psychophysical Assays within a Y-Maze to Isolate the Role that Visual Features Play in Navigational Decisions
07:09

Integrating Visual Psychophysical Assays within a Y-Maze to Isolate the Role that Visual Features Play in Navigational Decisions

Published on: May 2, 2019

6.6K
Boldness, Aggression, and Shoaling Assays for Zebrafish Behavioral Syndromes
08:43

Boldness, Aggression, and Shoaling Assays for Zebrafish Behavioral Syndromes

Published on: August 29, 2016

11.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish
10:56

Long-term Behavioral Tracking of Freely Swimming Weakly Electric Fish

Published on: March 6, 2014

13.1K
Integrating Visual Psychophysical Assays within a Y-Maze to Isolate the Role that Visual Features Play in Navigational Decisions
07:09

Integrating Visual Psychophysical Assays within a Y-Maze to Isolate the Role that Visual Features Play in Navigational Decisions

Published on: May 2, 2019

6.6K
Boldness, Aggression, and Shoaling Assays for Zebrafish Behavioral Syndromes
08:43

Boldness, Aggression, and Shoaling Assays for Zebrafish Behavioral Syndromes

Published on: August 29, 2016

11.1K

Area of Science:

  • Ichthyology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Sensory Ecology

Background:

  • Cichlids are a diverse teleost group widely used in evolutionary and behavioral studies.
  • Cichlid sensory systems display significant interspecific variation, influencing their ecological roles.
  • Sensory systems provide crucial proximate and ultimate explanations for cichlid behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the diversity of sensory capabilities in cichlid species.
  • To understand how sensory adaptations relate to cichlid behavior and evolution.
  • To highlight the importance of integrating multiple scientific disciplines in sensory system research.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of sensory channel diversity across cichlid species.
  • Review of studies investigating cichlid sensory perception (hearing, mechanosensation, taste, vision, olfaction).
  • Integration of findings from physics, chemistry, and neurobiology to explain sensory adaptations.

Main Results:

  • Cichlids rely on five primary sensory channels: hearing, mechanosensation, taste, vision, and olfaction.
  • Significant species-specific adaptations exist within these sensory channels in response to environmental stimuli.
  • Sensory system variations are linked to cichlid diversity, speciation, and behavioral evolution.

Conclusions:

  • Cichlid sensory systems are critical for understanding their adaptive radiation and behavioral ecology.
  • The study of cichlid sensory systems necessitates an integrative, multidisciplinary approach.
  • Further research integrating diverse scientific fields will illuminate the evolution of cichlid sensory capabilities.