Background predation risk induces anxiety-like behaviour and predator neophobia in zebrafish
Abstract Prey face a major challenge in balancing predator avoidance with other essential activities. In environments with high risk, prey may exhibit neophobia (fear of novelty) due to the increased likelihood of novel stimuli being dangerous. The zebrafish, Danio rerio, is an established model org...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Animal Cognition |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01908-z |
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| _version_ | 1832585524301266944 |
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| author | Himal Thapa Arash Salahinejad Adam L. Crane Ahmad Ghobeishavi Maud C. O. Ferrari |
| author_facet | Himal Thapa Arash Salahinejad Adam L. Crane Ahmad Ghobeishavi Maud C. O. Ferrari |
| author_sort | Himal Thapa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Prey face a major challenge in balancing predator avoidance with other essential activities. In environments with high risk, prey may exhibit neophobia (fear of novelty) due to the increased likelihood of novel stimuli being dangerous. The zebrafish, Danio rerio, is an established model organism for many scientific studies. Although spatial and object neophobia in zebrafish have received previous attention, little is known about the role of background risk in inducing neophobia in zebrafish. Here, we present two experiments using zebrafish to explore whether background predation risk can induce anxiety-like behaviour in a novel environment and neophobic responses when exposed to a novel odour. Over five days, we repeatedly exposed zebrafish to either high background risk in the form of chemical alarm cues (i.e., injured conspecific cues that indicate a predator attack) or a low-risk water control stimulus. In Experiment 1, when tested in a novel tank, zebrafish exposed to high predation risk displayed anxiety-like responses (reduced activity and increased bottom time spent) compared to their low-risk counterparts. Moreover, high-risk individuals showed reduced intra-session habituation to the novel tank compared to low-risk individuals. In Experiment 2, high-risk individuals exhibited fear responses toward a novel odour, unlike low-risk individuals. These results reveal that short-term repeated exposures to high risk can induce anxiety-like behaviour and predator odour neophobia in zebrafish. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c72a0491c7ec40de9dbc7de97d6fc686 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1435-9456 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animal Cognition |
| spelling | doaj-art-c72a0491c7ec40de9dbc7de97d6fc6862025-01-26T12:44:24ZengSpringerAnimal Cognition1435-94562024-10-0127111010.1007/s10071-024-01908-zBackground predation risk induces anxiety-like behaviour and predator neophobia in zebrafishHimal Thapa0Arash Salahinejad1Adam L. Crane2Ahmad Ghobeishavi3Maud C. O. Ferrari4Department of Biology, University of SaskatchewanDepartment of Biology, University of SaskatchewanSchool of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of ArkansasDepartment of Biology, University of SaskatchewanDepartment of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of SaskatchewanAbstract Prey face a major challenge in balancing predator avoidance with other essential activities. In environments with high risk, prey may exhibit neophobia (fear of novelty) due to the increased likelihood of novel stimuli being dangerous. The zebrafish, Danio rerio, is an established model organism for many scientific studies. Although spatial and object neophobia in zebrafish have received previous attention, little is known about the role of background risk in inducing neophobia in zebrafish. Here, we present two experiments using zebrafish to explore whether background predation risk can induce anxiety-like behaviour in a novel environment and neophobic responses when exposed to a novel odour. Over five days, we repeatedly exposed zebrafish to either high background risk in the form of chemical alarm cues (i.e., injured conspecific cues that indicate a predator attack) or a low-risk water control stimulus. In Experiment 1, when tested in a novel tank, zebrafish exposed to high predation risk displayed anxiety-like responses (reduced activity and increased bottom time spent) compared to their low-risk counterparts. Moreover, high-risk individuals showed reduced intra-session habituation to the novel tank compared to low-risk individuals. In Experiment 2, high-risk individuals exhibited fear responses toward a novel odour, unlike low-risk individuals. These results reveal that short-term repeated exposures to high risk can induce anxiety-like behaviour and predator odour neophobia in zebrafish.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01908-zAlarm cuesNovel tankBehaviour plasticityNovel odourUncertainty |
| spellingShingle | Himal Thapa Arash Salahinejad Adam L. Crane Ahmad Ghobeishavi Maud C. O. Ferrari Background predation risk induces anxiety-like behaviour and predator neophobia in zebrafish Animal Cognition Alarm cues Novel tank Behaviour plasticity Novel odour Uncertainty |
| title | Background predation risk induces anxiety-like behaviour and predator neophobia in zebrafish |
| title_full | Background predation risk induces anxiety-like behaviour and predator neophobia in zebrafish |
| title_fullStr | Background predation risk induces anxiety-like behaviour and predator neophobia in zebrafish |
| title_full_unstemmed | Background predation risk induces anxiety-like behaviour and predator neophobia in zebrafish |
| title_short | Background predation risk induces anxiety-like behaviour and predator neophobia in zebrafish |
| title_sort | background predation risk induces anxiety like behaviour and predator neophobia in zebrafish |
| topic | Alarm cues Novel tank Behaviour plasticity Novel odour Uncertainty |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01908-z |
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