Cavefish focus on which way the water flows DOI Open Access
Ellen Lesser

Journal of Experimental Biology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 225(19)

Published: Oct. 1, 2022

People tend to rely on their eyes understand the world, but some fish don't have or even light for illumination. A population of Astyanax mexicanus, ‘cavefish’, thrive deep in caves where they navigate and find food total darkness. team researchers based at University Florida, USA, led by James Liao, looked beyond this obvious difference hidden mechanisms behind cavefish's success exploring world without eyes. They wanted know if cavefish nervous system adjusted lack amplifying other senses, specifically sense ‘touch’, which detects water flow through structures called neuromasts distributed across fish's body. The compared how differ between blind another sighted A. live streams surface planet use explore.Instead comparing adult responded flowing water, larval from each species rule out possibility that any differences were due learning as developed. found distribution along sides larvae differs two populations: more closer heads than a river surface. However, neuromast was made up similar number flow-sensitive hairs get tugged moves past them – hair cells our inner ears, air pressure changes allow us perceive sound.To determine whether also adapted dark environment, measured electrical signals produced single sensory when still. When not swimming, stronger those relatives, indicating baseline communication brain is higher. In addition, vibrated mimic past, response again fish.The then determined communicated while simulated swimming. By recording neuromasts, are relay fewer still, allows ignore body generating own movement. continued swimming.Next, tested sensitivity swim dictated brain. located neurons send sensors experimentally silenced neurons. Without brain, surface-dwelling relayed similarly cavefish: be active Suppressing during swimming can lead efficient dwellers, cavefish, sensitive likely beneficial. And, populations cave systems, systems both adopted strategy increase swimming.Fish with sight eyes, feel way continuing signal waterflow This extra attention requires energy, it's worth cost

Language: Английский

Fantastic beasts and how to study them: rethinking experimental animal behavior DOI Creative Commons
Siyu Serena Ding, Jessica L. Fox, Andrew Gordus

et al.

Journal of Experimental Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 227(4)

Published: Feb. 15, 2024

ABSTRACT Humans have been trying to understand animal behavior at least since recorded history. Recent rapid development of new technologies has allowed us make significant progress in understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying behavior, a key goal neuroethology. However, there is tradeoff when studying its biological mechanisms: common protocols laboratory are designed be replicable controlled, but they often fail encompass variability breadth natural behavior. This Commentary proposes framework 10 questions that aim guide researchers incorporating rich context into their experimental design or choosing study system. The cover overarching considerations can provide template for interspecies comparisons, enable develop studies model organisms unlock experiments our quest

Language: Английский

Citations

6
The nature and distribution of putative non-functional alleles suggest only two independent events at the origins of Astyanax mexicanus cavefish populations DOI Creative Commons
Maxime Policarpo, Laurent Legendre,

Isabelle Germon

et al.

BMC Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 24(1)

Published: April 1, 2024

Abstract Background Several studies suggested that cavefish populations of Astyanax mexicanus settled during the Late Pleistocene. This implies cavefish’s most conspicuous phenotypic changes, blindness and depigmentation, more cryptic characters important for cave life, evolved rapidly. Results Using published genomes 47 from la Cueva de El Pachón, Sótano Tinaja, La Chica Molino, we searched putative loss-of-function mutations in previously defined sets genes, i.e. , vision, circadian clock pigmentation genes. Putative non-functional alleles four vision genes were identified. Then, genome-wide these populations. Among 512 with segregating are absent surface fish, found an enrichment visual perception populations, different levels shared found. a subset 12 which found, extend analysis pseudogenes to 11 six del Toro population, where extensive hybridization fish occurs, correlation between level eye regression amount alleles. Conclusions We confirm very few present large set accordance recent origin cavefish. Furthermore, indicates vision-related GO-terms, suggesting may be function chiefly impacted by gene losses related shift environment. The geographic distribution newly suggests Sierra Guatemala Abra share common origin, albeit followed independent evolution long period. It also supports Micos area have origin. In Toro, troglomorphic phenotype is maintained despite massive introgression genome.

Language: Английский

Citations

4
The evolution of olfactory sensitivity, preferences, and behavioral responses in Mexican cavefish is influenced by fish personality DOI Creative Commons
Maryline Blin,

Louis Valay,

Manon Kuratko

et al.

eLife, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 12

Published: June 4, 2024

Animals are adapted to their natural habitats and lifestyles. Their brains perceive the external world via sensory systems, compute information together with that of internal states autonomous activity, generate appropriate behavioral outputs. However, how do these processes evolve across evolution? Here, focusing on sense olfaction, we have studied evolution in olfactory sensitivity, preferences, responses six different food-related amino acid odors two eco-morphs fish Astyanax mexicanus . To this end, developed a high-throughput setup pipeline quantitative qualitative behavior analysis, tested 489 six-week-old larvae. The blind, dark-adapted morphs species showed markedly distinct basal swimming patterns odors, higher strong preference for alanine, as compared river-dwelling eyed conspecifics. In addition, discovered an individual ‘swimming personality’, personality influences capability respond efficiently find source. Importantly, traits favored significant were surface cavefish. Moreover, displayed by second-generation cave × F2 hybrids suggested olfactory-driven sensitivity is genetic trait. Our findings show processing has rapidly evolved cavefish at several levels: detection threshold, odor preference, foraging strategy. Cavefish therefore outstanding model understand genetic, molecular, neurophysiological basis specialization response environmental change.

Language: Английский

Citations

4
Compensatory sensory mechanisms in naïve blind cavefish navigating novel environments after lateral line ablation DOI

Sofia Z Marketaki,

Fidji Berio, Valentina Di Santo

et al.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A Molecular & Integrative Physiology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 111863 - 111863

Published: April 1, 2025

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Sensing in the dark: Constructive evolution of the lateral line system in blind populations of Astyanax mexicanus DOI Creative Commons
Roberto Rodríguez‐Morales

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(4)

Published: April 1, 2024

Abstract Cave‐adapted animals evolve a suite of regressive and constructive traits that allow survival in the dark. Most studies aiming at understanding cave animal evolution have focused on genetics environmental underpinnings traits, with special emphasis vision loss. Possibly as result loss, other non‐visual sensory systems expanded compensated species. For instance, many cave‐dwelling fish species, including blind cavefish Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus , major mechanosensory system called lateral line, for loss through morphological expansions. While substantial work has shed light adaptation this system, there are still open questions regarding its developmental origin, synaptic plasticity, overall adaptive value. This review provides snapshot current state knowledge line adaption A. an anatomy, behavior. Multiple avenues future research how these can be leveraged tools both evolutionary biology medicine, discussed.

Language: Английский

Citations

3
Artificial Lateral Lines-based an Active Obstacle Recognition Strategy and Performance Evaluation for Bionic Underwater Robots DOI
Ao Li, Shuxiang Guo, Chunying Li

et al.

IEEE Sensors Journal, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 24(16), P. 26266 - 26277

Published: Aug. 15, 2024

Language: Английский

Citations

2
Sensory evolution in a cavefish radiation: patterns of neuromast distribution and associated behaviour inSinocyclocheilus(Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) DOI
陈兵 Chen Bing, Tingru Mao, Yewei Liu

et al.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 289(1984)

Published: Oct. 12, 2022

The genus Sinocyclocheilus, comprising a large radiation of freshwater cavefishes, are well known for their presence regressive features (e.g. variable eye reduction). Fewer constructive known, such as the expansion lateral line system (LLS), which is involved in detecting water movements. precise relationship between LLS and cave adaptation not understood. Here, we examine morphology LLS-mediated behaviour Sinocyclocheilus species characterized by broad variation size, habitat geographical distribution. Using live-staining techniques automated behavioural analyses, examined 26 quantified neuromast organ number, density asymmetry within phylogenetic context. We then how these morphological may relate to wall-following, an established cave-associated mediated line. show that most demonstrated laterality (i.e. asymmetry) organs on head, often biased right. also found wall-following was distinctive, particularly among eyeless species. Patterns appear correlate with degree loss, This work reveals evolution convergent across distant cavefish taxa mediate asymmetric enable survival stark subterranean microenvironments.

Language: Английский

Citations

11
Potential role of microRNAs in regulating transcriptional profile, and sculpting development and metabolism in cavefish DOI Creative Commons
Tathagata Biswas, Huzaifa Hassan, Nicolas Rohner

et al.

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Feb. 2, 2024

Abstract Astyanax mexicanus , a species with both surface-dwelling and multiple cave-dwelling populations, offers unique opportunity to study repeated adaptation dark resource-scarce environments. While previous work has identified large-scale changes in gene expression between morphs even under identical laboratory conditions, the regulatory basis of these differences remains largely unexplored. In this study, we focus on microRNAs (miRNAs) as key regulators understand cavefish nuances. Our analysis 683 miRNAs, which not only surpasses number documented related but also provides first comprehensive catalog miRNAs for species. We subset differentially expressed common all studied potentially orchestrating nuanced patterns required survival challenging cave milieu. Gene Ontology predicted miRNA targets revealed involvement developmental metabolic pathways that are pivotal thriving nutrient-limited environments, such regulation neuromast migration. Moreover, our evidence influence circadian rhythm oxidative stress response, essential adaptations lifestyle. The generated will guide future investigations into intricate world miRNA-mediated evolution complex traits.

Language: Английский

Citations

1
Wall‐following – Phylogenetic context of an enhanced behaviour in stygomorphic Sinocyclocheilus (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) cavefishes DOI Creative Commons
陈兵 Chen Bing, Wenzhang Dai, Xianglin Li

et al.

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(6)

Published: June 1, 2024

Abstract With 75 known species, the freshwater fish genus Sinocyclocheilus is largest cavefish radiation in world and shows multiple adaptations for cave‐dwelling (stygomorphic adaptations), which include a range of traits such as eye degeneration (normal‐eyed, micro‐eyed eyeless), depigmentation skin, some presence “horns”. Their behavioural to subterranean environments, however, are poorly understood. Wall‐following (WF) behaviour, where an organism remains close contact with boundary demarcating its habitat when dark, peculiar behaviour observed wide animals enhanced cave dwellers. Hence, we hypothesise that wall‐following also present , possibly eyeless species compared bearing (normal‐/micro‐eyed species). Using 13 representative morphs, designed series assays, based on pre‐existing methods Astyanax mexicanus experiments, examine under three conditions. Our results indicate exhibit significantly intensities WF normal‐eyed forms demonstrating intermediate distance. mtDNA dated phylogeny (chronogram four clades A–D), traced degree these outline common patterns. We show intensity higher dominated by free‐living species. found highly sensitive vibrations, whereas least sensitive. Since presented all given fishes evolved late Miocene, identify this being ancestral enhancement related occupation. Results from diversification‐scale study suggest may be convergent trait across stygomorphic lineages.

Language: Английский

Citations

1
Flow sensing and feedback control for maintaining school cohesion in uncoordinated flapping swimmers DOI
Haotian Hang, Sina Heydari, Eva Kanso

et al.

2022 American Control Conference (ACC), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 66, P. 3960 - 3965

Published: July 10, 2024

Language: Английский

Citations

0