Estimating position and velocity of a submerged moving object by the clawed frog Xenopus and by fish - A cybernetic approach

Thelateral-linesystemisauniquefacilityofaquatic animals to locate predator, prey, or conspecifics. We present a detailed model of how the clawed frog Xenopus, or fish, can localize submerged moving objects in three dimensions by using their lateral-line system. In so doing we develop two models of a slightly different nature. First, we exploit the characteristic properties of the velocity field, such as zeros and maxima or minima, that a moving object generates at the lateral-line organs and that are directly accessible neuronally, in the context of a simplified geometry. In addition, we showthattheassociatedneuronalmodelisrobustwithrespect to noise. Though we focus on the superficial neuromasts of Xenopus the same arguments apply mutatis mutandis to the canal lateral-line system of fish. Second, we present a fullblown three-dimensional reconstruction of the source on the basis of a maximum likelihood argument. Keywords clawed frog Xenopus

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2005
• Where: BC
• Authors: Jan-Moritz P. Franosch, Andreas B. Sichert, Maria D. Suttner, J. Leo van Hemmen
• Keywords: BC 2005, Clawed Frog Xenopus, Frog Xenopus, Superficial Neuromasts