Evolution of left-right asymmetry in the sensory system and foraging behavior during adaptation to food-sparse cave environments.
BMC Biol 2022;
20:295. [PMID:
36575431 PMCID:
PMC9795734 DOI:
10.1186/s12915-022-01501-1]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Laterality in relation to behavior and sensory systems is found commonly in a variety of animal taxa. Despite the advantages conferred by laterality (e.g., the startle response and complex motor activities), little is known about the evolution of laterality and its plasticity in response to ecological demands. In the present study, a comparative study model, the Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus), composed of two morphotypes, i.e., riverine surface fish and cave-dwelling cavefish, was used to address the relationship between environment and laterality.
RESULTS
The use of a machine learning-based fish posture detection system and sensory ablation revealed that the left cranial lateral line significantly supports one type of foraging behavior, i.e., vibration attraction behavior, in one cave population. Additionally, left-right asymmetric approaches toward a vibrating rod became symmetrical after fasting in one cave population but not in the other populations.
CONCLUSION
Based on these findings, we propose a model explaining how the observed sensory laterality and behavioral shift could help adaptation in terms of the tradeoff in energy gain and loss during foraging according to differences in food availability among caves.
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