Effect of Variation in Temperature of Water in Close Proximity on the Rheotactic Motor Output: A Study in Zebrafish Model Using a Laboratory Developed Specialized Apparatus

Article Type

Research Article

Publication Title

Proceedings of the Zoological Society

Abstract

Sensorimotor behavior is an important function that governs the motor decisive ability of living organisms in response to the stream of incoming sensory information. Zebrafish is recently considered an appropriate animal model for studying neurocognitive and sensorimotor phenotypes. Among the several sensorimotor responses in zebrafish, rheotaxis, the inherent tendency of fish to orient itself in an alignment opposite to the direction of the fluid flow, is an important response that allows quantification of behavioral output (motor) of a sensorimotor transformation at a spatial scale. To date, few of the studies on sensorimotor response quantification in larval zebrafish have considered only the acoustic C-startle escape response, where the animal exhibits a C-shaped bending of the tail when exposed to a threatening mechanical stimulus. Thus, a dearth of research exists in the domain of quantifying the rheotactic sensorimotor response of adult zebrafish. Moreover, since rheotaxis involves multiple sensory cues like visual, vestibular, hydromechanical and proprioceptive, understanding the role of important sensory cues like temperature on the rheotaxis response is of paramount importance. In light of this scenario, the effect of immediate variation of water temperature on the rheotactic motor output of the zebrafish model has been studied on a laboratory scale through the development of a specialized rheotaxis apparatus. The present study findings suggested that an increase or decrease in the temperature of the surrounding water significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the rheotactic motor output of the model animal. The mean thermal tolerance range for maintenance of positive rheotactic response of zebrafish was found to be 14.4 °C to 33.3 °C.

First Page

420

Last Page

430

DOI

10.1007/s12595-025-00597-x

Publication Date

12-1-2025

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS