title: Strain- and context-dependent behavioural responses of acute alarm substance exposure in zebrafish.
abstract: We investigate the behavioural responses of wild type (WT) and leopard (leo) zebrafish elicited by alarm substances of conspecifics at three contexts: during the exposure period (Experiment 1); after exposure, in habituation to novelty (Experiment 2); or after exposure, in the light-dark preference test (Experiment 3), and analyse their influence on pigment response. During the exposure, leo showed decreased vertical drifts, increased number and duration of erratic movements, while WT had increased erratic movements and latency to enter the top. In the novel tank, we observed that angular velocity decreased in WT exposed to alarm substance, which also presented increased fear responses. Contrastingly, leo increased the number of entries and time in top, indicating differences in habituation profile. Alarm substance increased the number of erratic movements in the light-dark test, but elicited different responses between strains in scototaxis, latency to enter the dark compartment and risk assessment episodes. Moreover, the body colour of zebrafish did not change after alarm substance exposure. Principal component analyses suggest that burst swimming, anxiety-like behaviours, and locomotion/exploration were the components that most accounted for total variances of Experiments 1, 2, and 3, respectively. We conclude that chemical cue from conspecifics triggers strain- and context-dependent responses.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: nessaandreatta@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Vanessa A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Quadros
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giulie S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Didonet
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alessandra S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mauro E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tális O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vania L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Loro
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; The International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC), 309 Palmer Court, Slidell, LA 70458, USA. Electronic address: dbrosemberg@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Denis B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Rosemberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000523:psychology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Alarm substance; Behaviour; Fear; Strains; Zebrafish