RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Sensory tuning does not match behavioral relevance of communication signals in free-living weakly electric fish JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 114249 DO 10.1101/114249 A1 Jörg Henninger A1 Rüdiger Krahe A1 Frank Kirschbaum A1 Jan Grewe A1 Jan Benda YR 2017 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/05/05/114249.abstract AB Sensory systems evolve in the ecological niches each species is occupying. Accordingly, the tuning of sensory neurons is expected to match the statistics of natural stimuli. For an unbiased quantification of sensory scenes we tracked natural communication behavior of the weakly electric fish Apteronotus rostratus in their Neotropical rainforest habitat with high spatio-temporal resolution over several days. In the context of courtship and aggression we observed large quantities of electrocommunication signals. Echo responses and acknowledgment signals clearly demonstrated the behavioral relevance of these signals. Despite their relevance these signals are non-optimally represented in the sensory periphery. Frequencies of courtship signals are far outside of the neurons’ best tuning range and signals occurring in assessment and attack behaviors drive sensory neurons just above threshold. Our results emphasize the importance of quantifying sensory scenes derived from freely behaving animals in their natural habitats for understanding the evolution and function of neural systems.