The effect of early experience on learning and memory in cuttlefish

Dickel, Ludovic; Boal, Jean Geary; Budelmann, Bernd U.

doi:10.1002/(sici)1098-2302(200003)36:2<101::aid-dev2>3.0.co;2-l

Cited by 91 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…All tanks were supplied with running oxygenated seawater at 17±1°C. After hatching, the animals were housed in groups and provided with enriched habitats, which increases cuttlefish growth rates, has a positive effect on juveniles' learning abilities (Dickel et al, 2000) and improves the richness of their behavioral repertoire (Poirier et al, 2004;Poirier et al, 2005). Animals were fed daily with live shrimp (Crangon crangon) of suitable size.…”

Section: Materials and Methods Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maturation of polarization and luminance contrast sensitivities in cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)

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Dickel

Shashar

et al. 2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYPolarization sensitivity is a characteristic of the visual system of cephalopods. It has been well documented in adult cuttlefish, which use polarization sensitivity in a large range of tasks such as communication, orientation and predation. Because cuttlefish do not benefit from parental care, their visual system (including the ability to detect motion) must be efficient from hatching to enable them to detect prey or predators. We studied the maturation and functionality of polarization sensitivity in newly hatched cuttlefish. In a first experiment, we examined the response of juvenile cuttlefish from hatching to the age of 1month towards a moving, vertically oriented grating (contrasting and polarized stripes) using an optomotor response apparatus. Cuttlefish showed differences in maturation of polarization versus luminance contrast motion detection. In a second experiment, we examined the involvement of polarization information in prey preference and detection in cuttlefish of the same age. Cuttlefish preferentially chose not to attack transparent prey whose polarization contrast had been removed with a depolarizing filter. Performances of prey detection based on luminance contrast improved with age. Polarization contrast can help cuttlefish detect transparent prey. Our results suggest that polarization is not a simple modulation of luminance information, but rather that it is processed as a distinct channel of visual information. Both luminance and polarization sensitivity are functional, though not fully matured, in newly hatched cuttlefish and seem to help in prey detection. Supplementary material available online at

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Section: Materials and Methods Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maturation of polarization and luminance contrast sensitivities in cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)

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Dickel

Shashar

et al. 2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Cuttlefish embryos develop entirely within the egg, there is no larval or planktonic stage and newly hatched cuttlefish do not benefit from parental care [25]. Sensory and cognitive enrichment positively affects the maturation of memory [26] and defensive strategies [27]. Considering that incubation and rearing conditions are relatively easy to control in the laboratory, and the phenotypic plasticity of cuttlefish, it appears pertinent to explore whether genes and early experience interact to determine the pattern and strength of visual lateralization in this species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Embryonic exposure to predator odour modulates visual lateralization in cuttlefish

Jozet‐Alves

Hébert

2013

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Predation pressure acts on the behaviour and morphology of prey species. In fish, the degree of lateralization varies between high-and low-predation populations. While lateralization appears to be widespread in invertebrates, we do not know whether heredity and early experience interact during development as in vertebrates. Here we show, for the first time, that an exposure to predator odour prior to hatching modulates visual lateralization in newly hatched cuttlefish. Only cuttlefish that have been exposed to predator odour display a left-turning bias when tested with blank seawater in a T-shaped apparatus. Exposure to predator odour all the incubation long could appear as an acute predictor of a high-predation surrounding environment. In addition, cuttlefish of all groups display a left-turning preference when tested with predator odour in the apparatus. This suggests the ability of cuttlefish to innately recognize predator odour. To our knowledge, this is the first clear demonstration that lateralization is vulnerable to ecological challenges encountered during embryonic life, and that environmental stimulation of the embryo through the olfactory system could influence the development of subsequent visual lateralization.

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“…Typically, younger animals (vertebrate and invertebrate) 'perseverate' (the inappropriate or unintentional repetition of a response or behaviour) (Cider, 1997) on learning tasks where they are required to withhold a behavioural response (Denenberg and Kine, 1958;Peretz and Lukowiak, 1975;Blozovski and Cudennec, 1980;Mattingly and Zolman, 1980;Dickel et al, 1997Dickel et al, , 2000. The neuronal basis of behavioural perseveration is not known.…”

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JuvenileLymnaeaventilate,learn and remember differently than do adultLymnaea

McComb

Varshney

Lukowiak

2005

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Adult snails are capable of learning associatively not to perform aerial respiration and then to consolidate the acquired behaviour into long-term memory (LTM). Juvenile Lymnaea, however, perform aerial respiration significantly less often and the three-neuron circuit that drives this behaviour operates significantly differently than in it does in adults. We asked whether these ontogenic behavioural and neurophysiological differences are manifested as an altered ability of juveniles to learn and/or form LTM. We found that juvenile snails learn significantly less well than adults and are, as a group, incapable of forming LTM. To control for the possibility that the poor learning and inability to form memory were the result of juvenile's receiving on average fewer reinforcing stimuli because they perform aerial respiration less often than adults we subjected juveniles to an enforced period of hypoxia to 'motivate' juveniles. Motivated juveniles perform aerial respiration as often as adults; yet these 'motivated' juveniles continue to be poor learners and still cannot form LTM. Additionally, a small percentage of juveniles perform aerial respiration as often as adults (i.e. high responders). When these 'highresponders were trained they still exhibited poorer learning ability compared with adults and could not form LTM. We conclude that juvenile snails have a more difficult time learning and remembering to suppress aerial respiratory activity than do adults.

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The effect of early experience on learning and memory in cuttlefish

Cited by 91 publications

References 13 publications

Maturation of polarization and luminance contrast sensitivities in cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)

Maturation of polarization and luminance contrast sensitivities in cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)

Embryonic exposure to predator odour modulates visual lateralization in cuttlefish

JuvenileLymnaeaventilate,learn and remember differently than do adultLymnaea

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