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Collective intermittent exploration in fish schools is mediated by visual cues
1Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
Royal Society Open Science
|June 26, 2025
Summary
Zebrafish explore more when visual cues are absent, with group size also affecting behavior. A model shows a balance between social cohesion and exploration, influenced by sensory input and group dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Ecology
- Collective Animal Behavior
- Sensory Ecology
Background:
- Exploratory behavior is crucial for animal survival and resource acquisition in social groups.
- Understanding how sensory input and group size influence collective exploration is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of illumination (visual input) and group size on zebrafish exploratory behavior.
- To model the decision-making processes underlying collective exploration under varying sensory conditions.
Main Methods:
- Quantified visual cues using opacity (field occupancy) and optic flow (relative motion).
- Observed zebrafish exploratory behavior in dyads and triads under different light conditions.
- Developed a data-driven stochastic model to analyze the balance between social cohesion and exploration.
Main Results:
- Visual input led to increased swimming activity and shorter exploratory bursts in zebrafish.
- Absence of visual input resulted in more dispersed and prolonged exploration.
- Triads explored longer than dyads in the absence of visual cues; a model revealed a bistable potential landscape influenced by sensory input and group size.
Conclusions:
- Sensory input and group dynamics significantly interact to shape collective exploratory behavior.
- Environmental changes and conspecific number critically influence how animals explore their surroundings.
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