Wall following in Xenopus laevis is barrier-driven

Abstract

The tendency of animals to follow boundaries within their environment can serve as a strategy for spatial learning or defensive behaviour. We examined whether Xenopus laevis tadpoles and froglets employ such a strategy by characterizing their swimming pattern in a square tank with shallow water. Trajectories obtained from video recordings were analysed for proximity to the nearest wall. With the exception of young larvae, the vast majority of animals (both tadpoles and froglets) spent a disproportionately large amount of time near the wall. The total distance covered was not a confounding factor, but animals were stronger wall followers in smaller tanks. Wall following was also not influenced by whether the surrounding walls of the tank were black or white, illuminated by infrared light, or by the presence or absence of tentacles. When given a choice in a convex tank to swim straight and leave the wall or turn to follow the wall, the animals consistently left the wall, indicating that wall following in X. laevis is barrier-driven. This implies that wall following behaviour in Xenopus derives from constraints imposed by the environment (or the experimenter) and is unlikely a strategy for spatial learning or safety seeking.

Experimental arena settings might lead to misinterpretation of movement properties

“…, 2021) whereas in other studies they were rectangular (e.g., Dussutour et al. , 2005; Avni & Eilam, 2008; Hänzi & Straka, 2018). Even studies related to wall‐following behavior on a single species, Drosophila melanogaster , for instance, differed in the enclosure shape (round vs. rectangular; cf.…”

“…For example, studies on various taxa, like rodents, ants, and flies have examined movement in enclosures and documented wall-following behavior. In some such studies, the enclosures were round (e.g., Gonzalez et al, 2017;Scharf et al, 2021) whereas in other studies they were rectangular (e.g., Dussutour et al, 2005;Avni & Eilam, 2008;Hänzi & Straka, 2018). Even studies related to wall-following behavior on a single species, Drosophila melanogaster, for instance, differed in the enclosure shape (round vs. rectangular;cf.…”

Do pit-building predators prefer or avoid barriers? Wormlions' preference for walls depends on light conditions

“…We believe that other suggestions for wall preference, such as wall-following behaviour being a way by which to explore the habitat by vision-limited animals 66,67 , are less likely here because the wall is preferred mostly under light. Other studies suggest that wall-following behaviour is an artefact of using a too-small arena in the laboratory when animals reach fast the test arena edges and then move around them 68,69 . This explanation, which fits better more active animals than wormlions, is also unlikely because the movement distance of wormlions was quite limited (Figs.…”

Identification and functional evaluation of GRIA1 missense and truncation variants in individuals with ID: An emerging neurodevelopmental syndrome

“…Xenopus have an extensive track record for cost-effective, high-throughput gene function analysis 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 and high evolutionary similarity to mammals but broadly lack robust assays to measure higher executive functions. To date, most behavioral studies in Xenopus have focused on understanding behavior in the wild, with some reports detailing laboratory schooling, 121 , 122 swim and search patterns, 123 , 124 , 125 , 126 color differentiation, 127 , 128 , 129 seizure induction, 50 , 130 and learned behaviours. 129 , 131 In contrast, sophisticated quantitative behavioral analysis has so far been limited in tadpoles.…”