Behavioral spectral sensitivity of the zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Abstract

While the zebrafish (Danio rerio) continues to become an important animal model for the investigation of the genetic and physiological bases of visual processing of the vertebrate retina, its visual behavior, particularly regarding color processing, has received little attention. The purpose of this study was to obtain behavioral spectral sensitivity functions from adult zebrafish using an appetitive instrumental conditioning procedure. A three-chamber maze was implemented to train light-adapted adult zebrafish to swim into the chamber that contained a suprathreshold monochromatic stimulus for a food reward. Visual threshold was determined by varying the stimulus irradiance using a 'two-down one-up' staircase procedure. Threshold values were obtained for wavelengths from 340 to 640 nm. Spectral sensitivity functions obtained show contributions from two nonopponent cone mechanisms (UV and S) and two opponent mechanisms (M-S and L-M). These cone mechanisms are qualitatively similar to those obtained via physiological measures from the On-responses of the zebrafish retina and optic tectum. However, the functions are not quantitatively similar suggesting that further visual processing takes place beyond the processing of the retinal circuitry and processing of the initial stages of the optic tectum. These results demonstrate that the zebrafish is an excellent model to examine and compare the relationship between physiological and behavioral color processing.

Spectral Responses in Zebrafish Horizontal Cells Include a Tetraphasic Response and a Novel UV-Dominated Triphasic Response

“…UV-sensitive cones exist in a variety of species, including fish (goldfish, carp, zebrafish, salmon), turtles, rodents, insects, and birds. Behavioral responses to UV light are found in turtle (Arnold and Neumeyer 1987), roach (fish) (Douglas 1986), and birds (Hart 2001;Smith et al 2002;reviewed in Goldsmith 1994) and zebrafish (Risner et al 2006). ERG recordings identify UV cone contributions in zebrafish (Bilotta et al 2005;Hughes et al 1998;Nelson and Singla 2009) and juvenile goldfish (Chen and Stark 1994).…”

The fish eye view: are cichlids conspicuous?

“…To our knowledge no work has been published on cone opponency mechanisms in mbuna. However, if the mbuna visual systems are similar to those of goldfish and zebrafish, which neurally compare the signals from their shorter and longer wavelength cones (Hughes et al, 1998;Neumeyer, 1986;Neumeyer, 1992;Risner et al, 2006), the UV-sensitive visual system may have greater potential to discriminate between the colours of fishes and backgrounds found in its environment.…”

Automated visual choice discrimination learning in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

“…A method which can be used to study visual function as well as learning processes and memory retention was recently developed (Bilotta et al, 2005) and successfully used to determine the behavioral spectral sensitivity of adult zebrafish (Risner et al, 2006). Similar methods have been used for many years to study, e.g., color contrast and color constancy in goldfish (Dorr & Neumeyer, 2000Neumeyer et al, 2002).…”