scholarly journals Enrichment Increases Aggression in Zebrafish

Fishes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Woodward ◽  
Lucy Winder ◽  
Penelope Watt
Keyword(s):  
Danio Rerio ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Fertilisation Success ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Effect Of Treatment ◽  
Over Time

Environmental enrichment, or the enhancement of an animal’s surroundings when in captivity to maximise its wellbeing, has been increasingly applied to fish species, particularly those used commercially. Laboratory species could also benefit from enrichment, but it is not always clear what constitutes an enriched environment. The zebrafish, Danio rerio, is used widely in research and is one of the most commonly-used laboratory animals. We investigated whether changing the structural complexity of housing tanks altered the behaviour of one strain of zebrafish. Fish were kept in three treatments: (1) very enhanced (VE); (2) mildly enhanced (ME); and (3) control (CT). Level of aggression, fertilisation success, and growth were measured at regular intervals in a subset of fish in each treatment group. The VE fish were more aggressive over time than either ME or CT fish, both in the number of attacks they made against a mirror image and in their tendency to stay close to their reflection rather than avoid it. Furthermore, VE fish were shorter than CT fish by the end of the experiment, though mass was not significantly affected. There was no significant effect of treatment on fertilisation success. These findings suggest that the way in which fish are housed in the laboratory can significantly affect their behaviour, and potentially, their growth. The zebrafish is a shoaling species with a dominance hierarchy, and so may become territorial over objects placed in the tank. The enrichment of laboratory tanks should consider aspects of the species’ behaviour.

scholarly journals Aqualabyrinth – A New Enrichment for Laboratory Zebrafish Under Analysis for Future Production

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothee Therrien ◽  
Aurore Dodelet-Devilliers
Keyword(s):  
Danio Rerio ◽  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Aquatic Species ◽  
Test Interval ◽  
Research Article ◽  
Future Production ◽  
Fish Tanks

Abstract In the field of laboratory animals, there have been considerable improvements in environmental enrichment for mammalian species, but little remains available for aquatic species, in particular fish. Recent publications have shown benefits in providing laboratory Zebrafish (Danio rerio) certain types of enrichments, such as substrate and plants. This research article proposes a novel tank enrichment called the Aqualabyrinth, and the benefit of its use in laboratory Zebrafish. While the enrichment won 3rd place at the 2020 Janet Wood Innovation Award (JWIA) competition, the Aqualabyrinth is not yet available on the market. This novel enrichment proposes similar if not more qualities than current aquatic enrichments commercially available. More specifically, its ease of usage, maintenance, and modular configuration options make it an ideal choice for Laboratory fish tanks. Results showed interaction on average up to 10.5 per 3 fish within a 30 second test interval versus 6.25 per 3 fish within 30 seconds interval for a mouse igloo. With the additional benefits highlighted in this study, the Aqualabyrinth proves to be an efficient and practical environmental enrichment option, pending collaboration with interested manufacturers.

scholarly journals Non-random associations in group housed rats (Rattus norvegicus)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leanne Proops ◽  
Camille A. Troisi ◽  
Tanja K. Kleinhappel ◽  
Teresa Romero
Keyword(s):  
Network Analysis ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Rattus Norvegicus ◽  
Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Limited Evidence ◽  
Rat Strains ◽  
Social Species ◽  
Over Time

AbstractEcological factors, such as predation, have traditionally been used to explain sociability. However, it is increasingly recognised that individuals within a group do not associate randomly, and that these non-random associations can generate fitness advantages. The majority of the empirical evidence on differentiated associations in group-living mammals, however, comes from a limited number of taxa and we still know very little about their occurrence and characteristics in some highly social species, such as rats (Rattus spp.). Here, using network analysis, we quantified association patterns in four groups of male fancy rats. We found that the associations between rats were not randomly distributed and that most individuals had significantly more preferred/avoided associates than expected by random. We also found that these preferences can be stable over time, and that they were not influenced by individuals’ rank position in the dominance hierarchy. Our findings are consistent with work in other mammals, but contrast with the limited evidence available for other rat strains. While further studies in groups with different demographic composition are warranted to confirm our findings, the occurrence of differentiated associations in all male groups of rats have important implications for the management and welfare of captive rat populations.

scholarly journals Learning by Doing: The Use of Distance, Corners and Length in Rewarded Geometric Tasks by Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2001
Author(s):  
Greta Baratti ◽  
Angelo Rizzo ◽  
Maria Elena Miletto Petrazzini ◽  
Valeria Anna Sovrano
Keyword(s):  
Danio Rerio ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Reference Memory ◽  
Spatial Abilities ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Surface Distance ◽  
Extended Surfaces ◽  
Unequal Length ◽  
Over Time

Zebrafish spontaneously use distance and directional relationships among three-dimensional extended surfaces to reorient within a rectangular arena. However, they fail to take advantage of either an array of freestanding corners or an array of unequal-length surfaces to search for a no-longer-present goal under a spontaneous cued memory procedure, being unable to use the information supplied by corners and length without some kind of rewarded training. The present study aimed to tease apart the geometric components characterizing a rectangular enclosure under a procedure recruiting the reference memory, thus training zebrafish in fragmented layouts that provided differences in surface distance, corners, and length. Results showed that fish, besides the distance, easily learned to use both corners and length if subjected to a rewarded exit task over time, suggesting that they can represent all the geometrically informative parts of a rectangular arena when consistently exposed to them. Altogether, these findings highlight crucially important issues apropos the employment of different behavioral protocols (spontaneous choice versus training over time) to assess spatial abilities of zebrafish, further paving the way to deepen the role of visual and nonvisual encodings of isolated geometric components in relation to macrostructural boundaries.

scholarly journals Environmental Enrichment of Nonhuman Primates, Dogs and Rabbits Used in Toxicology Studies

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 132-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn A.L. Bayne
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Positive Interactions ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Scientific Enterprise ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Animal Care

The increasing emphasis on the provision of environmental enrichment to laboratory animals, vis-à-vis the USDA Animal Welfare Regulations, the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NRC 1996), and a potential forthcoming policy from the USDA on the subject, can be difficult to accommodate in a toxicology research environment. A summary will be provided of current requirements and recommendations. Then, strategies for meeting regulatory requirements will be described for non-rodent animals used in toxicology research. These strategies will address methods of both social enrichment, such as pair or group housing, as well as non-social enrichment, such as cage furniture, food enrichments, and toys. In addition, the value of positive interactions with staff (e.g., through training paradigms or socialization programs) will also be discussed. Apparent in the discussion of these strategies will be an overarching recognition of the necessity to avoid introducing confounding variables into the research project and to avoid compromising animal health. The roles of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and the attending veterinarian in helping scientists balance animal well-being, the scientific enterprise and the regulatory environment will be described.

TEMPORAL PATTERNS OF PARENTAL RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION IN THE RED-NECKED GREBE: EQUALIZING THE SHARE OF THE SURVIVORS

Behaviour ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 138 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 1355-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janusz Kloskowski
Keyword(s):  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Food Distribution ◽  
Brood Reduction ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Investment Allocation ◽  
Parental Aggression ◽  
Competition For Food ◽  
Podiceps Grisegena ◽  
Over Time

AbstractFood distribution within brood and parental aggression to chicks were studied in the asynchronously hatching red-necked grebe Podiceps grisegena throughout the whole period of parental care. When carrying young - during the first two weeks after hatching - parents did not interfere in sibling competition for food. The proportions of food received by each brood member reflected the dominance hierarchy. After this period, parents showed aggression to offspring, especially to the older chicks and the within-brood hierarchy of received food was gradually reversed. Junior chicks were also longer cared for than their older sibling. Male and female parents did not differ in the food apportionment among differentrank chicks. It is suggested that red-necked grebe parents change the within-brood investment allocation over time. In the first weeks after hatching, they allow biased food distribution and in consequence even brood reduction. Later, they intervene in resource allocation and attempt to equalize the post-fledging survival of all chicks. Parental aggression appears to be a means both for counteracting the competitive advantage of older sibs and for forcing the chicks to independence.

scholarly journals Artificial mass loading disrupts stable social order in pigeon dominance hierarchies

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 20200468
Author(s):  
Steven J. Portugal ◽  
James R. Usherwood ◽  
Craig R. White ◽  
Daniel W. E. Sankey ◽  
Alan M. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Mass Loading ◽  
Direct Link ◽  
Dominance Hierarchies ◽  
Closed Population ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Linear Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Over Time

Dominance hierarchies confer benefits to group members by decreasing the incidences of physical conflict, but may result in certain lower ranked individuals consistently missing out on access to resources. Here, we report a linear dominance hierarchy remaining stable over time in a closed population of birds. We show that this stability can be disrupted, however, by the artificial mass loading of birds that typically comprise the bottom 50% of the hierarchy. Mass loading causes these low-ranked birds to immediately become more aggressive and rise-up the dominance hierarchy; however, this effect was only evident in males and was absent in females. Removal of the artificial mass causes the hierarchy to return to its previous structure. This interruption of a stable hierarchy implies a strong direct link between body mass and social behaviour and suggests that an individual's personality can be altered by the artificial manipulation of body mass.

Simple shelter-style environmental enrichment alters behavior in mice

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey Coke-Murphy ◽  
Matthew Buendia ◽  
Tommy Saborido ◽  
Gregg Stanwood
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Strain Differences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Y Maze ◽  
Elevated Maze ◽  
Improved Learning ◽  
And Behavior

AbstractEnvironmental enrichment aims to improve the well-being of laboratory animals and provides an opportunity to improve experimental reliability and validity. Animals raised in more stimulating environments have improved learning and memory as well as more complex brain architecture. However, the effects of environmental enrichment on motor performance, anxiety and emotional development have been poorly studied. Moreover, most investigators studying the effects of enrichment provide extremely large and complex housing conditions to maximize the likelihood of finding effects. These situations are difficult to replicate across animal facilities and are not operationally practical. In this experiment, we investigated how simple, inexpensive disposable shelterstyle enrichment items alter behavior in C57Bl/6 and 129S6 mice. Breeding pairs were established in the presence of a Ketchum “Refuge”, Shepherd Shack “Dome”, or no enrichment. Offspring were assessed neurobehaviorally, either just after weaning (pre-adolescent, P22–P25), or as young adults (P60–P90). Major strain differences were observed in open field activity, elevated maze exploration, and Y-maze activity levels. The presence of the Refuge and/or Dome enrichment shelters significantly altered motor activity, coordination and some measures of anxiety. Mice housed in the presence of shelters were also less dominant than control mice in a tube test assay. Our experiments provide a detailed analysis of the effects of inexpensive and practical methods of housing enrichment on biobehavioral phenotypes in these two commonly used strains of laboratory mice, and suggest that the effects of these shelters on mouse neurobiology and behavior need to be rigorously analyzed before being adopted within vivariums.

Behaviour of the Bilby, Macrotis lagotis (Reid), (Marsupialia : Thylacomyidae) in Captivity

1983 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
CN Johnson ◽  
KA Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Social Structure ◽  
Feeding Behaviour ◽  
Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Dominant Male ◽  
Alpha Male ◽  
The Social ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Activity Cycles ◽  
Central Australia

The behaviour was observed, in captivity, of the bilby Macrotis lagotis, a fossorial bandicoot of central Australia. Most of the observations were made at night, but some were of below-ground behaviour during the daylight hours. Bilbies proved to be relatively passive in comparison with other bandicoots, and a rigid dominance hierarchy amongst males was maintained without destructive fighting. Dominant males chased subordinate males out of and away from burrows and the alpha male maintained priority of access to all the well used burrows in the enclosure. Males scent-marked around burrows; the dominant male usually marked over scents left by other bilbies. Males shared burrows freely with females, and copulation appears to take place down burrows. Information is also given on female-female and mother-young behaviour, and some suggestions are made concerning the social structure of wild bilbies. Activity cycles, feeding behaviour, etc. are described.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document