Abstract
Zebrafish larvae show characteristic prey capture behavior in response to small moving objects. The neural mechanism used to recognize objects as prey remains largely unknown. We devised a machine learning behavior classification system to quantify hunting kinematics in semi-restrained animals exposed to a range of virtual stimuli. Two-photon calcium imaging revealed a small visual area, AF7, that was activated specifically by the optimal prey stimulus. This pretectal region is innervated by two types of retinal ganglion cells, which also send collaterals to the optic tectum. Laser ablation of AF7 markedly reduced prey capture behavior. We identified neurons with arbors in AF7 and found that they projected to multiple sensory and premotor areas: the optic tectum, the nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus (nMLF) and the hindbrain. These findings indicate that computations in the retina give rise to a visual stream which transforms sensory information into a directed prey capture response.
Highlights
The visual systems of many species have an innate capacity to respond to features that denote either prey or predators (Olberg et al, 2000; Ewert et al, 2001; Simmons et al, 2010; Yilmaz and Meister, 2013)
These swims were accompanied by eye convergence, which is another kinematic feature of prey capture (Bianco et al, 2011; Patterson et al, 2013)
While it was previously established that larvae respond to small moving stimuli (Bianco et al, 2011; Trivedi and Bollmann, 2013), little was known about where in the visual system this selectivity is generated
Summary
The visual systems of many species have an innate capacity to respond to features that denote either prey or predators (Olberg et al, 2000; Ewert et al, 2001; Simmons et al, 2010; Yilmaz and Meister, 2013). Before initiating a prey capture swim, a larva must select the target from its surroundings, calculate its location, and make a decision as to whether the target is worth pursuing. If the prey is directly ahead, they slowly swim toward it, with back and forth undulations of the tail (Patterson et al, 2013). These movements appear to be triggered by small moving objects, but it is unclear how or where in the brain these objects are identified as prey
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