A comparison of three-dimensional swimming paths during visually-evoked versus auditory-evoked escape swims in larval zebrafish
Graduation Date
2016
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Other
Program
Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, Psychology: Academic Research, 2016
Committee Chair Name
Ethan Gahtan
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Escape response, Vertical swim, Zebrafish, Visual, Humboldt State University -- Theses -- Psychology, Behavior, Auditory
Abstract
Escape behaviors have been studied in zebrafish and aquatic organisms by neuroscientists seeking cellular-level descriptions of neural circuits, but few studies have examined vertical swimming during escapes. I analyzed three-dimensional swimming paths of larval zebrafish during visually-evoked and auditory-evoked escapes while the fish were in a cubical tank with equal vertical and lateral range. A vertical component was found in both visually-evoked and auditory-evoked escapes. The initial 10 seconds of stimulation involved an equal amount of increased vertical and horizontal movement for both escape behaviors, followed by a decrease in total distance traveled below that of spontaneous swimming. These escapes differentiated only after the initial 10 seconds of stimulation, with visually-evoked escapes involving a greater amount of vertical distance travelled and greater decrease in horizontal movement when compared to that of auditory-evoked escapes. To determine how these reflexes develop across ages at which zebrafish larvae are commonly used in behavioral assays, I tested light dimming-evoked and tap-evoked escapes in groups of larvae at 4 different ages: 6, 8, 10, and 12 days post fertilization. Both behaviors were found to not change as the age of the zebrafish increased. A comparison of light dimming-evoked diving in zebrafish to similar behaviors of other aquatic animals suggests it is a protean defense reflex against specific predation threats. These results also imply that future studies of the neural mechanisms of visual behavior in zebrafish should consider vertical movement control elements.
Recommended Citation
Bishop, Benjamin, "A comparison of three-dimensional swimming paths during visually-evoked versus auditory-evoked escape swims in larval zebrafish" (2016). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 1311.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/1311
https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/dz010s59x