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do Nascimento BG, Maximino C. Social investigation and social novelty in zebrafish: Roles of salience and novelty. Behav Processes 2023:104903. [PMID: 37286113 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Social preference tests can be used to analyze variables that influence and modify social behaviors, and to investigate effects of substances such as medications, drugs, and hormones. They may become important tools for finding a valid model to study neuropsychiatric changes and to study human neurodevelopmental processes that have been impaired by social events. While a preference for conspecifics has been shown for different species, social novelty has been used as a model for anxiety-like behavior in rodents. The goal of this research was to understand the roles of stimulus salience (numerousness) and novelty in social investigation and social novelty tests in zebrafish (Danio rerio Hamilton 1822). We used a sequential design, in which animals are exposed first to a social investigation test (with dichotomous presentation of novel conspecifics vs. empty tank) and then to a social novelty test (with dichotomous presentation of the already known conspecific and a novel conspecific). In experiment 1, animals were presented to either 1 or 3 (vs. an empty tank) conspecifics as stimuli. In experiment 2, animals were presented to 1 vs. 3 conspecifics as stimuli. In experiment 3, animals were observed in the social investigation and social novelty tests for 3 consecutive days. The results showed equivalence between 1 or 3 conspecifics in the social investigation and social novelty tests, although animals were able to discriminate between different shoal sizes. These preferences do not change with repeated test exposure, suggesting novelty to be a minor contributor to social investigation and social novelty in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Gomes do Nascimento
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá/PA, Brazil
| | - Caio Maximino
- Laboratório de Neurociências e Comportamento, Instituto de Estudos em Saúde e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá/PA, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências e Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém/PA, Brazil; Rede de Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal, Brazil
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2
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Snekser JL, Diestler E. Sex differences in the expression of aggressive behavior and influences on social choice in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Behav Processes 2023; 208:104871. [PMID: 37004890 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Aggregation behavior (grouping) provides many animals with the ecological benefits of protection from predators, increased access to food, and greater mating opportunities, despite possible costs. Many factors likely contribute to the social choices animals make, and we sought to determine if the individual expression of aggression would correlate with shoalmate choices. We quantified aggressive or submissive tendencies of individual male and female zebrafish and shoalmate preferences within dichotomous choice assays. We hypothesized that fish, regardless of their individual aggressive behaviors, would benefit most and therefore choose to spend time near larger shoals and shoals of the opposite sex. Both sexes spent significantly more time near shoals rather than be alone. Males spent significantly more time with the largest shoal, and females exhibited a similar trend. Both sexes spent more time with shoals of females, rather than males. Males were generally more consistent in their aggressive behaviors across multiple assays and females exhibited more individual-variability. More aggressive male zebrafish were more likely to choose shoals of males over females and were more likely to swim alone, but female zebrafish did not exhibit a correlation between aggressive behaviors and social choices. Our results demonstrate clear sex differences in the expression of individual behavior and influences on shoaling.
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3
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Mukherjee I, Bhat A. What drives mixed-species shoaling among wild zebrafish? The roles of predators, food access, abundance of conspecifics and familiarity. Biol Open 2023; 12:286221. [PMID: 36583380 PMCID: PMC9915908 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mixed-species groups occur across a wide range of faunal communities and provide several benefits to members. While zebrafish have often been observed to form mixed-species shoals with coexisting species, the factors determining their occurrence are not yet fully understood. Shoals comprising zebrafish (Danio rerio), flying barbs (Esomus danricus), and whitespots (Aplocheilus panchax) were collected from a stagnant canal at Haringhata (West Bengal, India), and using laboratory-based experiments, we deciphered likely drivers of mixed-species shoaling among zebrafish. Experiments assessing foraging efficiency revealed that the amount of food consumed by individual zebrafish in mixed shoals was comparable to the amount consumed by these individuals in conspecific shoals. Within mixed-species shoals, zebrafish individuals, despite being smaller than the other species, consumed a comparable amount of food as the other species. Shoal choice experiments revealed that under predator risk, zebrafish associate more with mixed shoals and showed comparable associations to shoals differing in the abundance of conspecifics. Furthermore, zebrafish preferred associating with familiar conspecifics over unfamiliar mixed and unfamiliar conspecific shoals. Therefore, equitable food consumption in mixed shoals, greater association with mixed shoals in the presence of predators, and familiarity were important in driving zebrafish towards mixed-species shoaling. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishani Mukherjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal 741246, India
| | - Anuradha Bhat
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal 741246, India,Author for correspondence ()
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4
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Lucon-Xiccato T, Tomain M, D’Aniello S, Bertolucci C. bdnf loss affects activity, sociability, and anxiety-like behaviour in zebrafish. Behav Brain Res 2023; 436:114115. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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5
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Dasgupta S, Hattori D, Navlakha S. A neural theory for counting memories. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5961. [PMID: 36217003 PMCID: PMC9551066 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33577-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Keeping track of the number of times different stimuli have been experienced is a critical computation for behavior. Here, we propose a theoretical two-layer neural circuit that stores counts of stimulus occurrence frequencies. This circuit implements a data structure, called a count sketch, that is commonly used in computer science to maintain item frequencies in streaming data. Our first model implements a count sketch using Hebbian synapses and outputs stimulus-specific frequencies. Our second model uses anti-Hebbian plasticity and only tracks frequencies within four count categories ("1-2-3-many"), which trades-off the number of categories that need to be distinguished with the potential ethological value of those categories. We show how both models can robustly track stimulus occurrence frequencies, thus expanding the traditional novelty-familiarity memory axis from binary to discrete with more than two possible values. Finally, we show that an implementation of the "1-2-3-many" count sketch exists in the insect mushroom body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjoy Dasgupta
- Computer Science and Engineering Department, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Daisuke Hattori
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| | - Saket Navlakha
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA.
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6
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Messina A, Potrich D, Perrino M, Sheardown E, Miletto Petrazzini ME, Luu P, Nadtochiy A, Truong TV, Sovrano VA, Fraser SE, Brennan CH, Vallortigara G. Quantity as a Fish Views It: Behavior and Neurobiology. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:943504. [PMID: 35911657 PMCID: PMC9334151 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.943504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An ability to estimate quantities, such as the number of conspecifics or the size of a predator, has been reported in vertebrates. Fish, in particular zebrafish, may be instrumental in advancing the understanding of magnitude cognition. We review here the behavioral studies that have described the ecological relevance of quantity estimation in fish and the current status of the research aimed at investigating the neurobiological bases of these abilities. By combining behavioral methods with molecular genetics and calcium imaging, the involvement of the retina and the optic tectum has been documented for the estimation of continuous quantities in the larval and adult zebrafish brain, and the contributions of the thalamus and the dorsal-central pallium for discrete magnitude estimation in the adult zebrafish brain. Evidence for basic circuitry can now be complemented and extended to research that make use of transgenic lines to deepen our understanding of quantity cognition at genetic and molecular levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Messina
- Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Davide Potrich
- Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Matilde Perrino
- Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Eva Sheardown
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, New Hunt’s House, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Peter Luu
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Anna Nadtochiy
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Thai V. Truong
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Valeria Anna Sovrano
- Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Scott E. Fraser
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Caroline H. Brennan
- School of Biological and Behavioral Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Giorgio Vallortigara
- Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- *Correspondence: Giorgio Vallortigara,
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7
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Howard SR, Greentree J, Avarguès-Weber A, Garcia JE, Greentree AD, Dyer AG. Numerosity Categorization by Parity in an Insect and Simple Neural Network. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.805385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A frequent question as technology improves and becomes increasingly complex, is how we enable technological solutions and models inspired by biological systems. Creating technology based on humans is challenging and costly as human brains and cognition are complex. The honeybee has emerged as a valuable comparative model which exhibits some cognitive-like behaviors. The relative simplicity of the bee brain compared to large mammalian brains enables learning tasks, such as categorization, that can be mimicked by simple neural networks. Categorization of abstract concepts can be essential to how we understand complex information. Odd and even numerical processing is known as a parity task in human mathematical representations, but there appears to be a complete absence of research exploring parity processing in non-human animals. We show that free-flying honeybees can visually acquire the capacity to differentiate between odd and even quantities of 1–10 geometric elements and extrapolate this categorization to the novel numerosities of 11 and 12, revealing that such categorization is accessible to a comparatively simple system. We use this information to construct a neural network consisting of five neurons that can reliably categorize odd and even numerosities up to 40 elements. While the simple neural network is not directly based on the biology of the honeybee brain, it was created to determine if simple systems can replicate the parity categorization results we observed in honeybees. This study thus demonstrates that a task, previously only shown in humans, is accessible to a brain with a comparatively small numbers of neurons. We discuss the possible mechanisms or learning processes allowing bees to perform this categorization task, which range from numeric explanations, such as counting, to pairing elements and memorization of stimuli or patterns. The findings should encourage further testing of parity processing in a wider variety of animals to inform on its potential biological roots, evolutionary drivers, and potential technology innovations for concept processing.
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8
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Bisazza A, Santacà M. Zebrafish excel in number discrimination under an operant conditioning paradigm. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:917-933. [PMID: 35179665 PMCID: PMC9334370 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01602-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Numerical discrimination is widespread in vertebrates, but this capacity varies enormously between the different species examined. The guppy (Poecilia reticulata), the only teleost examined following procedures that allow a comparison with the other vertebrates, outperforms amphibians, reptiles and many warm-blooded vertebrates, but it is unclear whether this is a feature shared with the other teleosts or represents a peculiarity of this species. We trained zebrafish (Danio rerio) to discriminate between numbers differing by one unit, varying task difficulty from 2 versus 3 to 5 versus 6 items. Non-numerical variables that covary with number, such as density or area, did not affect performance. Most fish reached learning criterion on all tasks up to 4 versus 5 discrimination with no sex difference in accuracy. Although no individual reached learning criterion in the 5 versus 6 task, performance was significant at the group level, suggesting that this may represent the discrimination threshold for zebrafish. Numerosity discrimination abilities of zebrafish compare to those of guppy, being higher than in some warm-blooded vertebrates, such as dogs, horses and domestic fowl, though lower than in parrots, corvids and primates. Learning rate was similar in a control group trained to discriminate between different-sized shapes, but zebrafish were slightly more accurate when discriminating areas than numbers and males were more accurate than females. At the end of the experiment, fish trained on numbers and controls trained on areas generalized to the reciprocal set of stimuli, indicating they had used a relational strategy to solve these tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Bisazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.,Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Maria Santacà
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Viale Giuseppe Colombo 3-Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy.
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9
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Messina A, Potrich D, Schiona I, Sovrano VA, Fraser SE, Brennan CH, Vallortigara G. Neurons in the Dorso-Central Division of Zebrafish Pallium Respond to Change in Visual Numerosity. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:418-428. [PMID: 34322692 PMCID: PMC8754367 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We found a region of the zebrafish pallium that shows selective activation upon change in the numerosity of visual stimuli. Zebrafish were habituated to sets of small dots that changed in individual size, position, and density, while maintaining their numerousness and overall surface. During dishabituation tests, zebrafish faced a change in number (with the same overall surface), in shape (with the same overall surface and number), or in size (with the same shape and number) of the dots, whereas, in a control group, zebrafish faced the same stimuli as during the habituation. Modulation of the expression of the immediate early genes c-fos and egr-1 and in situ hybridization revealed a selective activation of the caudal part of the dorso-central division of the zebrafish pallium upon change in numerosity. These findings support the existence of an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for approximate magnitude and provide an avenue for understanding its underlying molecular correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Messina
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Davide Potrich
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Ilaria Schiona
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Valeria Anna Sovrano
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto 38068, Italy
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Scott E Fraser
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA 90089, USA
| | - Caroline H Brennan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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10
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Attaran A, Salahinejad A, Naderi M, Crane AL, Chivers DP, Niyogi S. Transgenerational effects of selenomethionine on behaviour, social cognition, and the expression of genes in the serotonergic pathway in zebrafish. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 286:117289. [PMID: 33971468 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Elevated levels of contaminants from human activities have become a major threat to animals, particularly within aquatic ecosystems. Selenium (Se) is a naturally occurring element with a narrow range of safe intake, but excessive Se has toxicological effects, as it can bioaccumulate and cause cognitive and behavioural impairments. In this study, we investigated whether exposure to Se would also have transgenerational effects, causing changes in the descendants of exposed individuals. We exposed adult female zebrafish to either a control diet or environmentally relevant concentrations of dietary Se-Met (3.6, 12.8, 34.1 μg Se/g dry weight) for 90 days. Then, females from each treatment group were bred with untreated males, and the offspring (F1-generation) were raised to adulthood (6 months old) without Se exposure. In behavioural tests, offspring that were maternally exposed to 34.1 μg Se/g showed signs of elevated stress, weaker group preferences, and impaired social learning. Maternal exposure to high levels of Se-Met also led to dysregulation of the serotonergic system via changes in mRNA expression of serotonin receptors, including the 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, and 5-HT1D subtypes, the serotonin transporter, and monoamine oxidase (MAO). Such perturbations in the serotonergic system, thus, appear to underlie the neurobehavioural deficits that we observed. These findings suggest that Se contamination can have important transgenerational consequences on social behaviour and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anoosha Attaran
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada.
| | - Arash Salahinejad
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Mohammad Naderi
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Adam L Crane
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Som Niyogi
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada; Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5B3, Canada
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11
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Ghoshal A, Bhat A. Group size and aquatic vegetation modulates male preferences for female shoals in wild zebrafish, Danio rerio. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1236. [PMID: 33441931 PMCID: PMC7807030 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80913-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Shoaling decisions in the wild are determined by a combination of innate preferences of the individual along with the interplay of multiple ecological factors. In their natural habitat as well as in the laboratory, zebrafish is a shoaling fish. Here, we investigate the role of group size and associated vegetation in shaping shoaling preferences of wild male zebrafish. We studied the association preference of males to groups of female shoals in a multi-choice test design. We found that males made greater proportion of visits to an 8-female group compared to 2 and 4-female groups. However, males spent similar proportions of time across the three female-containing groups. When artificial vegetation was incorporated along with female number as an additional factor, we found that males prefer high and moderately vegetated patches compared to low or no-vegetation groups, irrespective of the number of females in these patches. Based on experiments using a novel multi-choice design, our results show that preference for group size can change due to interaction of two separate factors. This work is a first attempt to understand the role of aquatic flora in determining shoaling preferences in zebrafish, using an experimental paradigm consisting of a gradation in female and vegetation densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Ghoshal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 741 246, India
| | - Anuradha Bhat
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 741 246, India.
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12
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Facciol A, Gerlai R. Zebrafish Shoaling, Its Behavioral and Neurobiological Mechanisms, and Its Alteration by Embryonic Alcohol Exposure: A Review. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:572175. [PMID: 33100980 PMCID: PMC7546311 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.572175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Social cognition and social behaviors are complex phenomena that involve numerous brain areas and underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Embryonic alcohol exposure may lead to the development of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a disorder that manifests with varying symptoms including abnormal social behavior and other cognitive deficits. Animal models have been utilized to mimic aspects of the disease and to study potential underlying mechanisms. The zebrafish is a relative newcomer in this field but has been suggested as an optimal compromise between system complexity and practical simplicity for modeling FASD. Importantly, due to external fertilization and development of the embryo outside the mother and subsequent lack of parental care, this species allows precise control of the timing and dose of alcohol delivery during embryonic development. Furthermore, the zebrafish is a highly social species and thus may be particularly appropriate for the analysis of embryonic alcohol-induced alterations in this context. Here, we provide a succinct review focusing on shoaling, a prominent form of social behavior, in zebrafish. We summarize what is known about its behavioral mechanisms and underlying neurobiological processes, and how it is altered by exposure to ethanol during embryonic development. Lastly, we briefly consider possible future directions of research that would help us better understand the relationship between the behavioral expression and molecular basis of embryonic ethanol-induced social deficits in fish and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Facciol
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
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13
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Which Zebrafish Strains Are More Suitable to Perform Behavioral Studies? A Comprehensive Comparison by Phenomic Approach. BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9080200. [PMID: 32752218 PMCID: PMC7465594 DOI: 10.3390/biology9080200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Wild-type (WT) zebrafish are commonly used in behavioral tests, however, the term WT corresponds to many different strains, such as AB, Tübingen long fin (TL), and Wild Indian Karyotype (WIK). Since these strains are widely used, there has to be at least one study to demonstrate the behavioral differences between them. In our study, six zebrafish strains were used, which are AB, absolute, TL, golden, pet store-purchased (PET), and WIK zebrafishes. The behavior of these fishes was tested in a set of behavioral tests, including novel tank, mirror-biting, predator avoidance, social interaction, and shoaling tests. From the results, the differences were observed for all behavioral tests, and each strain displayed particular behavior depending on the tests. In addition, from the heatmap and PCA (principal component analysis) results, two major clusters were displayed, separating the AB and TL zebrafishes with other strains in another cluster. Furthermore, after the coefficient of variation of each strain in every behavioral test was calculated, the AB and TL zebrafishes were found to possess a low percentage of the coefficient of variation, highlighting the strong reproducibility and the robustness of the behaviors tested in both fishes. Each zebrafish strain tested in this experiment showed specifically different behaviors from each other, thus, strain-specific zebrafish behavior should be considered when designing experiments using zebrafish behavior.
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14
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Nieder A. The Adaptive Value of Numerical Competence. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:605-617. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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15
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Gómez-Laplaza LM, Gerlai R. Food Quantity Discrimination in Angelfish ( Pterophyllum scalare): The Role of Number, Density, Size and Area Occupied by the Food Items. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:106. [PMID: 32655384 PMCID: PMC7324792 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantity discrimination, the ability to identify, process, and respond to differences in number, has been shown in a variety of animal species and may have fitness value. In fish, the ability to distinguish between numerically different shoals has been well studied. However, little work has been devoted to the investigation of such ability in a foraging context. Nevertheless, angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) have been previously shown to be able to discriminate numerically different sets of food items, with variables such as size and density of the food items playing important roles in making the choice. Here, we examine the possible role of other numerical and non-numerical variables. Using a spontaneous binary choice task, we contrasted sets of food items differing in specifically controlled ways: (1) different numerical size but equal inter-item distance; (2) different numerical size and different inter-item distance; and (3) identical total contour length and area occupied but different individual food size and inter-food distance between the contrasted food sets. In Experiment 1, angelfish were found to prefer the sets with a large number of food items. In Experiment 2, they preferred the numerically smaller sets with clustered items to the numerically larger sets with scattered items, but only when the sets were in the large number range (10 vs. 5 food items). Finally, in Experiment 3 fish preferred numerically smaller sets with large-sized and scattered food items in the large number range sets. We conclude that food item number, density, and size may not be considered individually by angelfish, but instead, the fish respond to all these factors attempting to maximize energy gained from eating the food while minimizing energy expenditure collecting and/or protecting the food.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
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Howard SR, Avarguès-Weber A, Garcia JE, Greentree AD, Dyer AG. Surpassing the subitizing threshold: appetitive–aversive conditioning improves discrimination of numerosities in honeybees. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:222/19/jeb205658. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.205658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Animals including humans, fish and honeybees have demonstrated a quantity discrimination threshold at four objects, often known as subitizing elements. Discrimination between numerosities at or above the subitizing range is considered a complex capacity. In the current study, we trained and tested two groups of bees on their ability to differentiate between quantities (4 versus 5 through to 4 versus 8) when trained with different conditioning procedures. Bees trained with appetitive (reward) differential conditioning demonstrated no significant learning of this task, and limited discrimination above the subitizing range. In contrast, bees trained using appetitive–aversive (reward–aversion) differential conditioning demonstrated significant learning and subsequent discrimination of all tested comparisons from 4 versus 5 to 4 versus 8. Our results show conditioning procedure is vital to performance on numerically challenging tasks, and may inform future research on numerical abilities in other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scarlett R. Howard
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31400 Toulouse, France
- Bio-inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Aurore Avarguès-Weber
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Jair E. Garcia
- Bio-inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Andrew D. Greentree
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- Bio-inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
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17
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Attaran A, Salahinejad A, Crane AL, Niyogi S, Chivers DP. Chronic exposure to dietary selenomethionine dysregulates the genes involved in serotonergic neurotransmission and alters social and antipredator behaviours in zebrafish (Danio rerio). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 246:837-844. [PMID: 30623840 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.12.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Selenium (Se) is a metalloid of potential interest from both a toxicological and nutritional perspective, having a range of safe intake. The adverse neuro-behavioural effects of Se have been investigated in both humans and fishes, but little is known about its effects on social behaviours or the serotonergic signaling pathway in the brain. In the present study, we investigated the effects of chorionic dietary exposure to Se (as selenomethionine) at different concentrations (control, 2.1, 11.6 or 31.5 μg/g dry wt.) on antipredator avoidance, shoaling behaviour, and social group preferences in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). In addition, we also measured the expression of important genes in the serotonergic pathway that influence social behaviours. After 60 days of exposure, the highest dose (31.5 μg/g dry wt.) caused the highest level of baseline fear behaviour, with fish swimming lower in the water column and in tighter shoals compared to fish in the other treatments. With high levels of baseline fear, these fish did not significantly intensify fear behaviours in response to predation risk in the form of exposure to chemical alarm cues. When individual fish were given an opportunity to shoal with groups of differing sizes (3 vs. 4 individuals), fish exposed to the high dose spent less time with groups in general, and only control fish showed a significant preference for the larger group. In the zebrafish brain, we found significant upregulation in the mRNA expression of serotonin receptors (htr1aa and htr1b), a transporter (slc6a4a), and tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (tph2), whereas there was a downregulation of the monoamine oxidase (mao) gene. The results of this study suggest that disruption of serotonergic neurotransmission might have been responsible for Se-induced impairment of antipredator and social behaviour in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anoosha Attaran
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada.
| | - Arash Salahinejad
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Adam L Crane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada; Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Som Niyogi
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada; Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5B3, Canada
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada
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18
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Sykes DJ, Suriyampola PS, Martins EP. Recent experience impacts social behavior in a novel context by adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204994. [PMID: 30335773 PMCID: PMC6193632 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals exhibit behavioral plasticity as they move between habitats seasonally, reside in fluctuating environments, or respond to human-induced environmental change. We know that physical environment during early development can have a lasting impact on behavior, and on the neural mechanisms that shape behavior. In adults, social context can have similar persistent effects on behavior and the brain. Here, we asked whether physical context impacts adult social behavior in a novel environment. We placed groups of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) in two different physical contexts. After two weeks, we measured group behavior in a novel context, and found that zebrafish with recent experience in a more-complex physical environment charged each other more often and tended to form tighter shoals than did fish that had been housed in less-complex environments. These differences were present regardless of the novel context in which we assayed behavior, and were not easily explained by differences in activity level. Our results demonstrate the impact of recent experiences on adult behavior, and highlight the importance of physical as well as social history in predicting animal behavior in novel situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delawrence J. Sykes
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
- Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Piyumika S. Suriyampola
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Emília P. Martins
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
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Argus: An open-source and flexible software application for automated quantification of behavior during social interaction in adult zebrafish. Behav Res Methods 2018; 51:727-746. [PMID: 30105442 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-018-1083-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish show great potential for behavioral neuroscience. Promising lines of research, however, require the development and validation of software tools that will allow automated and cost-effective behavioral analysis. Building on our previous work with the RealFishTracker (in-house-developed tracking system), we present Argus, a data extraction and analysis tool built in the open-source R language for behavioral researchers without any expertise in R. Argus includes a new, user-friendly, and efficient graphical user interface, instead of a command-line interface, and offers simplicity and flexibility in measuring complex zebrafish behavior through customizable parameters. In this article, we compare Argus with Noldus EthoVision and Noldus The Observer, to validate this new system. All three software applications were originally designed to quantify the behavior of a single subject. We first also performed an analysis of the movement of individual fish and compared the performance of the three software applications. Next we computed and quantified the behavioral variables that characterize dyadic interactions between zebrafish. We found that Argus and EthoVision extract similar absolute values and patterns of changes in these values for several behavioral measures, including speed, freezing, erratic movement, and interindividual distance. In contrast, the manual coding of behavior in The Observer showed weaker correlations with the two tracking methods (EthoVision and Argus). Thus, Argus is a novel, cost-effective, and customizable method for the analysis of adult zebrafish behavior that may be utilized for the behavioral quantification of both single and dyadic interacting subjects, but further sophistication will be needed for the proper identification of complex motor patterns, measures that a human observers can easily detect.
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20
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Quantity discrimination in angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare: a novel approach with food as the discriminant. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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21
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Shams S, Rihel J, Ortiz JG, Gerlai R. The zebrafish as a promising tool for modeling human brain disorders: A review based upon an IBNS Symposium. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 85:176-190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Zebrafish in the analysis of the milder and more prevalent form of the disease. Behav Brain Res 2017; 352:125-132. [PMID: 28988969 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) represent a large unmet medical need. Exposure of the developing human embryo to alcohol can lead to life-long suffering. Despite the well documented deleterious effects of alcohol on the developing fetus, pregnant women continue to drink alcohol, and FASD remains the leading cause of preventable mental retardation and other behavioral abnormalities. Particularly prevalent are the milder forms of the disease cluster, representing children who do not show obvious physical signs and who may be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. To develop treatment and diagnostic tools, researchers have turned to animal models. The zebrafish is becoming one of the leading biomedical research organisms that may facilitate discovery of the biological mechanisms underlying this disease and the identification of biomarkers that may be used for diagnosis. Here we review the latest advances of this field, mostly focussing on the discoveries made in our own laboratory and others with zebrafish employed to analyze the effects of moderate to low level of exposure to alcohol. We argue that the zebrafish represents unique advantages, and adding information obtained with this species to the mix of other animal models will significantly increase translational relevance of animal biomedical research for the analysis of human FASD.
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