Influence of environmental colors and long-term sex isolation on zebrafish shoaling behavior

Authors

  • Christian Lenzi University of Turin, Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino
  • Chiara Grasso University of Turin, Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino
  • Mircea Nicoara “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Bd. Carol I, 20A, 700505, Iasi
  • Alexandra Savuca “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Bd. Carol I, 20A, 700505, Iasi
  • Alin Ciobica “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Department of Research, Faculty of Biology, Bd. Carol I, 20A, 700505, Iasi
  • Gabriel I. Plavan “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Bd. Carol I, 20A, 700505, Iasi
  • Stefan A. Strungaru “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Department of Research, Faculty of Biology, Bd. Carol I, 20A, 700505, Iasi

Keywords:

zebrafish, environmental coloring, sexual preferences, shoaling, social behavior

Abstract

Paper description:

  • Zebrafish social behavior is mediated by different means of communication (chemical and visual). The potential influence of environmental coloring on the shoaling preference of Danio rerio has not been studied.
  • Sex-related differences were found. Unlike females, male fish shoaled more with another male and less with a potential sexual partner. We did not find a significant influence of environmental coloring on social preference patterns.
  • These results are an addition to the insufficient literature in this research area, which is generally characterized by underestimation of sex-related differences in the zebrafish social behavior.

Abstract: Zebrafish has a complex social behavior and little is known about the role of sexual preference and their environmental social interactions. In this study we investigated the potential influence of environmental colors and shoaling preferences of zebrafish male and female populations, with a focus on visual communication. Males and females were kept for 7 days in gender-isolated tanks, with a specific habitat color for each group: green for males and red for females. After the pre-test period, all the animals were kept separated and 8 noninvasive behavioral tests were conducted in a T-maze, with the application of different visual stimuli. We did not observe any clear influence of environmental coloring on social zebrafish choices. Significant sex-related differences were found in shoaling partner preference (i.e. same sex vs. other sex, one fish vs. three fish) as follows: females showed a tendency to avoid other females and spent more time with males. Male fish did not display a preference between one or three fish stimuli and they shoaled more with another male and less with a potential sexual partner. There was an obvious difference between males and females in responses and selection of shoaling partners.

https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS190118015L

Received: January 18, 2019; Revised: February 23, 2019; Accepted: March 5, 2019; Published online: March 19, 2019

How to cite this article: Lenzi C, Grasso C, Nicoara M, Savuca A, Ciobica A, Plavan GI, Strungaru SA. Influence of environmental colors and long-term sex isolation on zebrafish shoaling behavior. Arch Biol Sci. 2019;71(2):329-37.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Hamilton F. An account of the fishes found in the river Ganges and its branches. Edinburgh, London: Archibald Constable and Co;1822. 333 p.

Engeszer RE, Da Barbiano LA, Ryan MJ, Parichy DM. Timing and plasticity of shoaling behaviour in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. Anim Behav. 2007;74(5):1269-75.

Gerlai R. High-throughput behavioral screens: the first step towards finding genes involved in vertebrate brain function using zebrafish. Molecules. 2010;15(4):2609-22.

Kalueff AV, Stewart AM, Gerlai R. Zebrafish as an emerging model for studying complex brain disorders. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2014;35(2):63-75.

Engeszer RE, Patterson LB, Rao AA, Parichy DM. Zebrafish in the wild: a review of natural history and new notes from the field. Zebrafish. 2007;4(1):21-40.

Spence R, Fatema MK, Ellis S, Ahmed ZF, Smith C. The diet, growth and recruitment of wild zebrafish (Danio rerio) in Bangladesh. J Fish Biol. 2007;71(1):304-9.

Spence R, Gerlach G, Laurence C, Smith C. The behaviour and ecology of the zebrafish, Danio rerio. Biol Rev. 2008;83(1):13-34.

Darrow O, Harris WA. Characterization and development of courtship in zebrafish, Danio rerio. Zebrafish. 2004;1(1):40-5.

Rosenthal GG, Ryan MJ. Assortative preferences for stripes in danios. Anim Behav. 2005;70:1063-6.

Kalueff AV, Gebhardt M, Stewart AM, Cachat JM, Brimmer M, Chawla JS. Towards a Comprehensive Catalog of Zebrafish Behavior 1.0 and Beyond. Zebrafish. 2013;10(1):70-86.

Engeszer RE, Ryan MJ, Parichy DM. Learned social preference in zebrafish. Curr Biol. 2004;14(10):881-4.

Pritchard VL, Lawrence J, Butlin RK, Krause J. Shoal choice in zebrafish, Danio rerio: the influence of shoal size and activity. Anim Behav. 2001;62(6):1085-8.

Ruhl N, McRobert SP. The effect of sex and shoal size on shoaling behaviour in Danio rerio. J Fish Biol. 2005;67:1318-26.

Etinger A, Lebron J, Palestis BG. Sex-assortative shoaling in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Bios. 2009;80(4):153-8.

Snekser JL, Ruhl N, Bauer K, McRobert SP. The Influence of Sex and Phenotype on Shoaling Decisions in Zebrafish. Intern J Comp Psychol. 2010;23:70-81.

Delaney M, Follet C, Ryan N, Hanney N, Lusk-Yablick J, Gerlach G. Social Interaction and Distribution of Female Zebrafish (Danio rerio) in a Large Aquarium. Biol Bull. 2002;203(2):240-1.

Colwill RM, Raymond MP, Ferreira L, Escudero H. Visual discrimination learning in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Behav Process. 2005;70(1):19-31.

Gahtan E, Tanger P, Baier H. Visual prey capture in larval zebrafish is controlled by identified reticulospinal neurons downstream of the tectum. J Neurosci. 2005;25(40):9294-303.

Park JS, Ryu JH, Choi TI, Bae YK, Lee S, Kang HJ, Kim CH. Innate Color Preference of Zebrafish and Its Use in Behavioral Analyses. Mol Cells. 2016;39(10):750-5.

Peeters BW, Moeskops M, Veenvliet AR. Color Preference in Danio rerio: Effects of Age and Anxiolytic Treatments. Zebrafish. 2016;13(4):330-4.

Bault ZA, Peterson SM, Freeman JL. Directional and color preference in adult zebrafish: Implications in behavioral and learning assays in neurotoxicology studies. J Appl Toxicol. 2015;35(12):1502-10.

Spence R, Smith C. Innate and Learned Color Preference in the Zebrafish, Danio rerio. Ethology. 2008;114:582–8.

Owen MA, Rohrer K, Howard RD. Mate choice for a novel male phenotype in zebrafish, Danio rerio. Anim Behav. 2012; 83:811-20.

Avedesh A, Martin-Iverson MT, Chen M, Groth DM, Mondal A, Morgan N, Lardelli M, Martins NR, Verdile G. Evaluation of color preference in zebrafish: A possible potential model for learning and memory disorders. Alzheimers Dement. 2011;7:1-7.

Avedesh A, Martin-Iverson MT, Mondal A, Chen M, Askraba S, Morgan N, Lardelli M, Groth DM, Verdile G, Martins NR. Evaluation of color preference in zebrafish for learning and memory. J Alzheimers Dis. 2012;28:459-69.

Avedesh A, Martin-Iverson M, Mondal A, Chen M, Verdile G, Martins NR. Natural Color Preference in the Zebrafish (Danio rerio). P Meas Behav. 2010;27:155-7.

Gerlai R, Lahav M, Guo S, Rosenthal A. Drinks like a fish: zebra fish (Danio rerio) as a behaviour genetic model to study alcohol effects. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2000;67(4):773-82.

Serra EL, Medalha CC, Mattioli R. Natural preference of zebrafish (Danio rerio) for a dark environment. Braz J Med Biol Res. 1999;32(12):1551-3.

Stephenson JF, Whitlock KE, Partridge JC. Zebrafish Preference for Light or Dark Is Dependent on Ambient Light Levels and Olfactory Stimulation. Zebrafish. 2011;8(1):17-22.

Commission Recommendation (2007/526/EC) of 18 June 2007 on guidelines for the accommodation and care of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes (notified under document number C(2007) 2525). Offic J Eur Union. 2007;50:197.

Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. Offic J Eur Union. 2010;53:276.

Blaser R, Gerlai R. Behavioral phenotyping in zebrafish: Comparison of three behavioral quantification methods. Behav Res Methods. 2006;38:456-69.

Downloads

Published

2019-06-04

How to Cite

1.
Lenzi C, Grasso C, Nicoara M, Savuca A, Ciobica A, Plavan GI, Strungaru SA. Influence of environmental colors and long-term sex isolation on zebrafish shoaling behavior. Arch Biol Sci [Internet]. 2019Jun.4 [cited 2024Nov.21];71(2):329-37. Available from: https://serbiosoc.org.rs/arch/index.php/abs/article/view/3888

Issue

Vol. 71 No. 2 (2019)

Section

Articles

License

Authors grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Most read articles by the same author(s)