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: Himal Thapa, Arash Salahinejad, Adam L. Crane, Ahmad Ghobeishavi, Maud C. O. Ferrari
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2024-10-01
Series:Animal Cognition
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01908-z
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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.
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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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AT adamlcrane backgroundpredationriskinducesanxietylikebehaviourandpredatorneophobiainzebrafish
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