title: Prozac impacts lateralization of aggression in male Siamese fighting fish.
abstract: Previous studies have shown that Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens, preferentially use right-eye during the aggressive displays. However, administration of antidepressant drugs may disrupt eye-use preference in association with a reduction in aggression; a phenomena that has not been explored in fish. The objective of the current study was to examine the effects of exposure to the antidepressant drug, fluoxetine, on lateralization in eye-use during aggressive displays in male Siamese fighting fish. Baseline aggression and lateralization in eye use of thirty fish were assessed toward live conspecifics, following which experimental subjects (n=15) were then exposed to fluoxetine (540ng/L) in a static renewal water system. Behavior was quantified again after 9 days of exposure. All of the subjects preferentially used the right-eye during aggressive responses before the exposure experiments. Fluoxetine exposed subjects showed a reduction in the time spent gill flaring as has previously been reported, indicative of a reduction in the level of aggression. Fluoxetine also had a significant effect on the lateralization in preferred eye-use while looking at their opponent. Fish exposed to fluoxetine switched from a preferential use of the right-eye during aggressive encounters prior to exposure to using their left-eye after exposure to fluoxetine. The results are discussed with regard to asymmetrical distribution of serotonin between the two brain hemispheres.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: HedayatiRad
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. Electronic address: malahi@ut.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nematollahi
authors.affiliation: Young Researchers and Elite Club, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Navid
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Forsatkar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Eastern Road, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia.
authors.forename: Culum
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000633:toxicity*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000187:drug effects*; D005880:Gills / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010473:Perciformes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D005473:Fluoxetine; D012701:Serotonin
keywords: Aggression; Betta splendens; Eye-use preference; Gill flaring; Lateralization display