scholarly journals Activation of the hypothalamic feeding centre upon visual prey detection

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akira Muto ◽  
Pradeep Lal ◽  
Deepak Ailani ◽  
Gembu Abe ◽  
Mari Itoh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Prey Detection ◽  
Hypothalamic Area ◽  
Zebrafish Larvae ◽  
Prey Recognition ◽  
Food Detection ◽  
Feeding Motivation ◽  
Freely Behaving ◽  
Pretectal Area

The visual system plays a major role in food/prey recognition in diurnal animals, and food intake is regulated by the hypothalamus. However, whether and how visual information about prey is conveyed to the hypothalamic feeding centre is largely unknown. Here we perform real-time imaging of neuronal activity in freely behaving or constrained zebrafish larvae and demonstrate that prey or prey-like visual stimuli activate the hypothalamic feeding centre. Furthermore, we identify prey detector neurons in the pretectal area that project to the hypothalamic feeding centre. Ablation of the pretectum completely abolishes prey capture behaviour and neurotoxin expression in the hypothalamic area also reduces feeding. Taken together, these results suggest that the pretecto-hypothalamic pathway plays a crucial role in conveying visual information to the feeding centre. Thus, this pathway possibly converts visual food detection into feeding motivation in zebrafish.

Molecular neuroanatomy and chemoarchitecture of the neurosecretory preoptic-hypothalamic area in zebrafish larvae

2014 ◽  
Vol 522 (7) ◽  
pp. 1542-1564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich Herget ◽  
Andrea Wolf ◽  
Mario F. Wullimann ◽  
Soojin Ryu
Keyword(s):  
Hypothalamic Area ◽  
Zebrafish Larvae

Responses to Moving Visual Stimuli in Pretectal Neurons of the Small-Spotted Dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula)

2008 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 200-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Andrea Masseck ◽  
Klaus-Peter Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Semicircular Canals ◽  
Neuronal Responses ◽  
Vertical Movements ◽  
Scyliorhinus Canicula ◽  
Random Dot Patterns ◽  
Pretectal Area ◽  
Corpus Geniculatum Laterale ◽  
Sensitive Direction

Single-unit recordings were performed from a retinorecipient pretectal area (corpus geniculatum laterale) in Scyliorhinus canicula. The function and homology of this nucleus has not been clarified so far. During visual stimulation with a random dot pattern, 45 (35%) neurons were found to be direction selective, 10 (8%) were axis selective (best neuronal responses to rotations in both directions around one particular stimulus axis), and 75 (58%) were movement sensitive. Direction-selective responses were found to the following stimulus directions (in retinal coordinates): temporonasal and nasotemporal horizontal movements, up- and downward vertical movements, and oblique movements. All directions of motion were represented equally by our sample of pretectal neurons. Additionally we tested the responses of 58 of the 130 neurons to random dot patterns rotating around the semicircular canal or body axes to investigate whether direction-selective visual information is mapped into vestibular coordinates in pretectal neurons of this chondrichthyan species. Again all rotational directions were represented equally, which argues against a direct transformation from a retinal to a vestibular reference frame. If a complete transformation had occurred, responses to rotational axes corresponding to the axes of the semicircular canals should have been overrepresented. In conclusion, the recorded direction-selective neurons in the Cgl are plausible detectors for retinal slip created by body rotations in all directions.

scholarly journals Dynamics of gaze control during prey capture in freely moving mice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angie M. Michaiel ◽  
Elliott T.T. Abe ◽  
Cristopher M. Niell
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Active Vision ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Visual Scene ◽  
Specific Point ◽  
Binocular Field ◽  
Freely Moving

ABSTRACTMany studies of visual processing are conducted in unnatural conditions, such as head- and gaze-fixation. As this radically limits natural exploration of the visual environment, there is much less known about how animals actively use their sensory systems to acquire visual information in natural, goal-directed contexts. Recently, prey capture has emerged as an ethologically relevant behavior that mice perform without training, and that engages vision for accurate orienting and pursuit. However, it is unclear how mice target their gaze during such natural behaviors, particularly since, in contrast to many predatory species, mice have a narrow binocular field and lack foveate vision that would entail fixing their gaze on a specific point in the visual field. Here we measured head and bilateral eye movements in freely moving mice performing prey capture. We find that the majority of eye movements are compensatory for head movements, thereby acting to stabilize the visual scene. During head turns, however, these periods of stabilization are interspersed with non-compensatory saccades that abruptly shift gaze position. Analysis of eye movements relative to the cricket position shows that the saccades do not preferentially select a specific point in the visual scene. Rather, orienting movements are driven by the head, with the eyes following in coordination to sequentially stabilize and recenter the gaze. These findings help relate eye movements in the mouse to other species, and provide a foundation for studying active vision during ethological behaviors in the mouse.

Water velocity influences prey detection and capture by drift-feeding juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus)

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 266-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J Piccolo ◽  
Nicholas F Hughes ◽  
Mason D Bryant
Keyword(s):  
Oncorhynchus Mykiss ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Kisutch ◽  
Species Interaction ◽  
Water Velocity ◽  
Capture Probability ◽  
Prey Detection ◽  
Detection Distance ◽  
Drift Feeding

We examined the effects of water velocity on prey detection and capture by drift-feeding juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead (sea-run rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus) in laboratory experiments. We used repeated-measures analysis of variance to test the effects of velocity, species, and the velocity × species interaction on prey capture probability, prey detection distance, and swimming speeds during prey capture. We used 3D video analysis to assess the spatial and temporal characteristics of prey detection and capture. Coho and steelhead showed significant, velocity-dependent decreases in capture probability (~65% to 10%, with an increase of velocity from 0.29 to 0.61 m·s-1) and prey detection distance, with no effect of species and no velocity × species interaction. Neither velocity nor species affected prey interception speed; fish intercepted prey at their predicted maximum sustainable swimming speed (Vmax) at all velocities. Speed of return to the focal point increased significantly with increasing velocity, with no effect of species. At faster velocities, return speeds were faster than Vmax, indicating potential increases in energetic cost because of anaerobic swimming. The 3D analysis suggests that the reduction in capture probability was due to both reduced prey detection distance and a uniform decline in detection probability within the prey capture area.

Prey Capture and Feeding Motivation in the Bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix

Copeia ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 1970 (2) ◽  
pp. 360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bori L. Olla ◽  
Harvey M. Katz ◽  
Anne L. Studholme
Keyword(s):  
Prey Capture ◽  
Pomatomus Saltatrix ◽  
Feeding Motivation

scholarly journals Zebrafish differentially process colour across visual space to match natural scenes

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxime JY Zimmermann ◽  
Noora E Nevala ◽  
Takeshi Yoshimatsu ◽  
Daniel Osorio ◽  
Dan-Eric Nilsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Natural Scenes ◽  
Lower Visual Field ◽  
Retinal Neurons ◽  
Larval Zebrafish ◽  
Systematic Shift

SummaryAnimal eyes evolve to process behaviourally important visual information, but how retinas deal with statistical asymmetries in visual space remains poorly understood. Using hyperspectral imaging in the field, in-vivo 2-photon imaging of retinal neurons and anatomy, here we show that larval zebrafish use a highly anisotropic retina to asymmetrically survey their natural visual world. First, different neurons dominate different parts of the eye, and are linked to a systematic shift in inner retinal function: Above the animal, there is little colour in nature and retinal circuits are largely achromatic. Conversely, the lower visual field and horizon are colour-rich, and are predominately surveyed by chromatic and colour-opponent circuits that are spectrally matched to the dominant chromatic axes in nature. Second, above the frontal horizon, a high-gain ultraviolet-system piggy-backs onto retinal circuits, likely to support prey-capture. Our results demonstrate high functional diversity among single genetically and morphologically defined types of neurons.

scholarly journals Prey Detection and Prey Capture in Copepod Nauplii

PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e47906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleonora Bruno ◽  
Christian Marc Andersen Borg ◽  
Thomas Kiørboe
Keyword(s):  
Prey Capture ◽  
Prey Detection

scholarly journals Molecular and cellular determinants of motor asymmetry in zebrafish

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J. Horstick ◽  
Yared Bayleyen ◽  
Harold A. Burgess
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Motor Behavior ◽  
Hand Preference ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Developmental Pathways ◽  
Human Hand ◽  
Motor Asymmetry ◽  
Zebrafish Larvae ◽  
Developmental Signaling ◽  
Functional Lateralization

AbstractAsymmetries in motor behavior, such as human hand preference, are observed throughout bilateria. However, neural substrates and developmental signaling pathways that impose underlying functional lateralization on a broadly symmetric nervous system are unknown. Here we report that in the absence of over-riding visual information, zebrafish larvae show intrinsic lateralized motor behavior that is mediated by a cluster of 60 posterior tuberculum (PT) neurons in the forebrain. PT neurons impose motor bias via a projection through the epithalamic commissure to the habenula. Acquisition of left/right identity is disrupted by heterozygous mutations in mosaic eyes and mindbomb, genes that regulate Notch signaling. These results define the neuronal substrate for motor asymmetry in a vertebrate and support the idea that developmental pathways that establish visceral asymmetries also govern acquisition of left/right identity.

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