Skip to main content
Log in

How stimulus shape affects lateral-line perception: analytical approach to analyze natural stimuli characteristics

  • BC Forum
  • Published:
Biological Cybernetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We revisit the method of conformal mapping and apply it to the setting found in mechanosensory detection systems such as the lateral-line system of fish. We derive easy-to-use equations capable of describing analytically the influence of the stimulus shape on the flow field and thus on the input to the lateral line. The present approach shows that the shape of a submerged moving object affects its perception if its distance to a detecting animal does not exceed the object’s body length.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bleckmann H (1994) Reception of hydrodynamic stimuli in aquatic and semiaquatic animals. Fischer, Stuttgart

  • Coombs S, Anderson R, Braun CB, Grosenbaugh M (2007) The hydrodynamic footprint of benthic, sedentary fish in undirectional flow. J Acoust Soc Am 122: 1227–1237

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ćurc̆ić-Blake B, van Netten SM (2006) Source location encoding in the fish lateral line canal. J Exp Biol 209: 1548–1559

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Franosch JMP, Sichert AB, Suttner MD, van Hemmen JL (2005) Estimating position and velocity of a submerged moving object by the clawed frog Xenopus and by fish—a cybernetic approach. Biol Cybern 93: 231–238

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goulet J, Engelmann J, Chagnaud BP, Franosch JMP, Suttner MD, van Hemmen JL (2008) Object localization through the lateral line system of fish: theory and experiment. J Comp Physiol A 194: 1–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hassan ES (1985) Mathematical analysis of the stimulus for the lateral line organ. Biol Cybern 52: 23–36

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Panton RL (2005) Incompressible flow, 3rd edn. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Sichert AB, Bamler R, van Hemmen JL (2009) Hydrodynamic object recognition: when multipoles count. Phys Rev Lett 102: 058–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Truckenbrodt E (1999) Fluidmechanik 2, 4th edn. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • von Campenhausen C, Riess I, Weissert R (1981) Detection of stationary objects by the blind cave fish Anoptichtys jordani. J Comp Physiol A 143: 369–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang Y, Chen J, Engel J, Pandya S, Chen N, Tucker C, Coombs S, Jones D, Liu C. (2006) Distant touch hydrodynamic imaging with an artificial lateral line. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103: 18891–18895

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andreas B. Sichert.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sichert, A.B., van Hemmen, J.L. How stimulus shape affects lateral-line perception: analytical approach to analyze natural stimuli characteristics. Biol Cybern 102, 177–180 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-010-0369-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-010-0369-7

Keywords

Navigation