Conference Paper
Spatial memory experiments in Astyanax mexicabus
Garcia, O.M., Santacruz, A., Reynoso, V.H. and Maldonado, E.
Record Number:
3085
Year:
2015
Journal:
AIM 2015
Abstract:
In evolution, behavior is one of the most moldable features that organisms have at hand,
in order to adapt to new habitats. It is through an array of different sensory systems that
they can gather information about their surroundings, colonizing even extreme
environments. This is the case of the Characid fish Astyanax mexicanus with two
morphotypes: Surfacefish (SF) with normal vision that inhabits rivers and blind Cavefish
(CF) living in cave ponds. CF evolved in perpetual darkness and scarce food through
morphological changes such as eye loss and acquisition of a greater number of larger
neuromasts. It also experienced behavioral shifts as; gain of vibration attraction, and loss
of traits as aggression and schooling. CF originated from SF trapped in caves. Our main
question is: How Astyanax SF managed to survive in the caves? First we collected SF and
CF in the wild and performed a maze experiment in complete darkness while filming
with IR cameras. Spatial learning in SF has a slower learning curve than CF, however
soon enough SF was completely able to form a spatial memory solving the maze in the
complete absence of light.
Times Cited:
1
Relevent Species: