Data from: Zebrafish imprint to amino acids: Evidence from attraction and avoidance tests
Data files
Apr 28, 2025 version files 41.26 KB
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Dryad_data_submission.xlsx
39.04 KB
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README.md
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Abstract
Imprinting to environmental cues is behind some of the most critically important behaviours on the planet. In certain fishes, olfactory imprinting is believed to direct return migration to natal areas. In this, amino acids are putative imprintable odorants. We tested the ability of a model fish (Danio rerio) to imprint to amino acids. We found that developmental exposure to some amino acids could result in attraction, avoidance or indifference later at adult stage. Imprinting to a binary mixture of amino acids made from attracting and repelling amino acids resulted in imprinting, which was surprising. However, the response was avoidance, not attraction. These data suggest avoidance is a more powerful driver of behavioural response. Our data highlight the specificity with which a single amino acid can have in the imprinting response, as well as the complexity that even the most basic of odorant mixtures can encode.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.vt4b8gv3x
Description of the data and file structure
Fish position in the avoidance-attraction trough was scored manually by an observer unaware or the treatment (i.e. odorant delivered to the trough). Data consists of time spent on the odorant delivery side of the trough both during 10 min before and 10 min after delivery.
Detailed methods are available here: https://doi.org/10.1163/1568539X-bja10070
Files and variables
File: Dryad_data_submission.xlsx
Description: Data consists of seconds in the odorant delivery zone of the two choice arena.
Variables
Column descriptions:
A) ‘Fish’ – each number indicates an individual fish. No fish were reused.
B) ‘Imprint’ indicates the chemical that the fish were developmentally exposed to (or not; controls were left in embryo media).
C) ‘Recall’ indicates the odorant adults were given in the avoidance-attraction trough.
D) ‘Imprinted’ indicates fish that received either the exposure or control (embryo media) during development, i.e. imprinting exposures were given (Y) or not (N).
E) [Exposure] indicates the concentration of the recall odorant used. Specifically, to test recall of the imprinting cue, individual fish were given 10 min exposures to different concentrations of the imprinted odorants. Odorant concentrations are in mM, except PEA, which is in µM. Note, fish given binary mixtures during development were subsequently only given one concentration to respond to (0.1mM).
F) ‘Pre_post’ indicates which period of recall exposure the data refer to, either the 10 min before odorant introduction (pre) or the 10 min after introduction (post).
G) ‘Time’ is the data, which consists of time spent in the odorant introduction zone, in seconds, before and after odorant introduction.
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- NA
Data was derived from the following sources:
- NA
Zebrafish were raised from fertilization to 7 dpf in either embryo media alone or embryo media spiked with amino acids (L-leucine, L-lysine, or L-valine, or a mixture of L-leucine and L-lysine) or a positive control (phenylethyl alcohol [PEA]). They were then transferred to regular tank water and grown to adulthood. At 90 days post-fertilization, zebrafish were placed in an avoidance-attraction trough, which is a two choice arena. Zebrafish were tested for their tendency to either spend more or less time in the area where odorants were delivered. The odorants consisted of the same odorants they were exposed to as embryos (or blank). Data consists of time spent in the odorant zone 10 min before odorant introduction and 10 min after odorant introduction. A positive difference between the two indicates attraction (or preference).