What causes lateralization of detour behavior in fish? Evidence for asymmetries in eye use.
A consistent population bias to detour a vertical-bar barrier preferentially leftwise during approach to inspect a dummy predator was demonstrated in the poeciliid fish Girardinus falcatus. The asymmetry seems to be due to a preferential use of the lateral visual field of the right eye during fixation of biologically relevant stimuli such as a predator. Viewing tests revealed in fact that fish which tended to detour the barrier on the left side used the right eye to scrutiny a dummy predator and the left eye to scrutiny a neutral stimulus, whereas fish which tended to detour the barrier on the right side showed the reverse pattern of eye use; fish that did not show any consistent bias in the detour test did not reveal any significant preference in the viewing test.
Facchin
L
L
Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Italy.
Bisazza
A
A
Vallortigara
G
G
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009799:Ocular Physiological Phenomena; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology