PUBLICATION
Adult zebrafish primarily use vision to guide piscivorous foraging behavior
- Authors
- Howe, H.B., McIntyre, P.B., Wolman, M.A.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-181024-12
- Date
- 2018
- Source
- Behavioural processes 157: 230-237 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Wolman, Marc
- Keywords
- Predation, mechanosensation, olfaction, piscivorous, prey capture, sensory system, vision, zebrafish
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Female
- Male
- Mechanoreceptors/physiology
- Olfactory Perception/physiology
- Predatory Behavior/physiology*
- Visual Perception/physiology*
- Zebrafish/physiology*
- PubMed
- 30352272 Full text @ Behav. Processes
Citation
Howe, H.B., McIntyre, P.B., Wolman, M.A. (2018) Adult zebrafish primarily use vision to guide piscivorous foraging behavior. Behavioural processes. 157:230-237.
Abstract
The sensory modalities used by predatory fish to detect and capture prey are a key dimension of their foraging strategy. Determining the sensory cues that guide predation can also further conservation efforts under environmental change, and address the welfare of research animals. Here, we experimentally manipulated the sensory modalities used by adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) when foraging for larval conspecifics in captivity. We used minimally invasive techniques to test the consequences of eliminating visual, olfactory, and mechanosensory cues for predator behavior and success. Our results indicate that zebrafish require visual cues, but not olfactory or mechanosensory input. Reducing the visual contrast between prey and their surroundings decreased capture rates, suggesting that contrast underlies visual foraging. Video recordings of zebrafish during foraging indicate that they actively hunt larval fish, rather than employing a sit-and-wait approach. Together, our findings indicate adult zebrafish rely on visual cues to guide an active predation strategy.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping