PUBLICATION
Social investigation and social novelty in zebrafish: Roles of salience and novelty
- Authors
- do Nascimento, B.G., Maximino, C.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-230608-40
- Date
- 2023
- Source
- Behavioural processes 210: 104903 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Maximino, Caio
- Keywords
- Social investigation, Social novelty, Social preference, Zebrafish
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Behavior, Animal
- Humans
- Social Behavior*
- Zebrafish*
- PubMed
- 37286113 Full text @ Behav. Processes
Citation
do Nascimento, B.G., Maximino, C. (2023) Social investigation and social novelty in zebrafish: Roles of salience and novelty. Behavioural processes. 210:104903.
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.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping