How do electric fish use electrical discharges to navigate and communicate?

Electric fish, specifically the mormyrids of Africa and the gymnotids of South America, have evolved specialized bioelectric organs in their tails to navigate and communicate in environments where vision is ineffective, such as murky or dark rivers.123

Navigation via Active Electrolocation

These fish generate weak, continuous electrical pulses that create an electric field around their bodies. They possess specialized tuberous electroreceptors in their skin that detect distortions in this field caused by nearby objects. By sensing these "electrical shadows," the fish can identify the location and electrical properties of objects—whether conducting or nonconducting—allowing them to navigate and locate food in the absence of visual, mechanical, or chemical cues.1243

Communication

The same electrical discharges are utilized for social interaction. These fish can modulate the frequency and temporal patterns of their pulses to convey information. This electrical signaling is used for:132
* Social signaling: Mediating interactions during courtship, territorial defense, and aggressive encounters.145
* Recognition: Signaling species, sex, and individual identity.4

Because these signals are low-voltage and rely on the conductivity of fresh water, this form of communication is generally limited to a range of about one meter.3