Zebrafish learn to forage in the dark

Abstract

ABSTRACT A large diversity of fishes struggle early in life to forage on zooplankton while under the threat of predation. Some species, such as zebrafish (Danio rerio), acquire an ability to forage in the dark during growth as larvae, but it is unclear how this is achieved. We investigated the functional basis of this foraging by video-recording larval and juvenile zebrafish as they preyed on zooplankton (Artemia sp.) under infrared illumination. We found that foraging improved with age, to the extent that 1-month-old juveniles exhibited a capture rate that was an order of magnitude greater than that of hatchlings. At all ages, the ability to forage in the dark was diminished when we used a chemical treatment to compromise the cranial superficial neuromasts, which facilitate flow sensing. However, a morphological analysis showed no developmental changes in these receptors that could enhance sensitivity. We tested whether the improvement in foraging with age could instead be a consequence of learning by raising fish that were naïve to the flow of prey. After 1 month of growth, both groups foraged with a capture rate that was significantly less than that of fish that had the opportunity to learn and indistinguishable from that of fish with no ability to sense flow. This suggests that larval fish learn to use water flow to forage in the dark. This ability could enhance resource acquisition under reduced competition and predation. Furthermore, our findings offer an example of learning in a model system that offers promise for understanding its neurophysiological basis.