Inhibitory control in zebrafish, Danio rerio

• Published in: Journal of fish biology Vol. 97; no. 2; pp. 416 - 423
• Main Authors: Lucon‐Xiccato, Tyrone, Bertolucci, Cristiano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.08.2020; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Active control; Animals; Behavior, Animal - physiology; behaviour; Control; Danio rerio; fish; fish cognition; Foraging; Foraging behavior; Freshwater fishes; Individuality; inhibitory control; learning; medicinal properties; Memory; Memory - physiology; Population studies; Predatory Behavior - physiology; Prey; Zebrafish; Zebrafish - physiology; behaviour; learning; memory; fish cognition; inhibitory control
• ISSN: 0022-1112; 1095-8649; 1095-8649
• DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14380

We assessed whether zebrafish, Danio rerio, display inhibitory control using a simple and rapid behavioural test. Zebrafish were exposed to a prey stimulus placed inside a transparent tube, which initially elicited attack behaviour. However, zebrafish showed a rapid reduction in the number of attacks towards the prey, which indicated the ability to inhibit their foraging behaviour. Zebrafish also exhibited mnemonic retention of foraging inhibition, as indicated by a reduced number of attacks in a subsequent exposure to the unreachable prey. The ability to inhibit the foraging behaviour varied across three genetically separated wild‐type strains and across different individuals within strains, suggesting that zebrafish show heritable within‐species differences in inhibitory control. Our behavioural test might be suitable for screening large zebrafish populations in mutational studies and assessing the effects of pharmacologically active substances on inhibitory control.