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Related Experiment Videos

Eye use during viewing a reflection: behavioural lateralisation in zebrafish larvae.

V A Sovrano1, R J Andrew

  • 1Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy. valeriaanna.sovrano@unipd.it

Behavioural Brain Research
|November 22, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Zebrafish larvae show a consistent left eye preference when viewing their reflection, indicating specialized novelty assessment. This visual lateralisation shifts with age, similar to chicks, suggesting developmental changes in eye control.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Ethology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Visual lateralisation, the preferential use of one eye, is observed across many vertebrate species.
  • Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a valuable model organism for studying visual processing and behavioral development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the development of visual lateralisation in zebrafish larvae using a mirror test.
  • To explore age-dependent changes in eye preference and compare them with other species.

Main Methods:

  • Zebrafish larvae of different ages were exposed to their own reflection in a mirror.
  • Eye preference (left or right eye use) was recorded during the test.
  • Larvae were also tested with unfamiliar conspecifics.

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Main Results:

  • Consistent left eye preference was observed in zebrafish larvae across all studied ages.
  • A dip and subsequent rise in left eye use occurred around 14 and 21 days, mirroring patterns in domestic chicks.
  • Larvae also showed left eye preference when viewing unfamiliar conspecifics.

Conclusions:

  • Zebrafish exhibit a specialized left eye system for assessing novelty, explaining their consistent left eye use in mirror tests.
  • Developmental shifts in eye control likely contribute to age-dependent changes in visual lateralisation.
  • Differences in reflection assessment duration between zebrafish strains may relate to novelty processing strategies.