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River zebrafish combine behavioral plasticity and generalized morphology with specialized sensory and metabolic physiology to survive in a challenging environment.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Suriyampola, PS; Zúñiga-Vega, JJ; Jayasundara, N; Flores, J; Lopez, M; Bhat, A; Martins, EP
Published in: Scientific reports
September 2023

Phenotypes that allow animals to detect, weather, and predict changes efficiently are essential for survival in fluctuating environments. Some phenotypes may remain specialized to suit an environment perfectly, while others become more plastic or generalized, shifting flexibly to match current context or adopting a form that can utilize a wide range of contexts. Here, we tested the differences in behavior, morphology, sensory and metabolic physiology between wild zebrafish (Danio rerio) in highly variable fast-flowing rivers and still-water sites. We found that river zebrafish moved at higher velocities than did still-water fish, had lower oxygen demands, and responded less vigorously to small changes in flow rate, as we might expect for fish that are well-suited to high-flow environments. River zebrafish also had less streamlined bodies and were more behaviorally plastic than were still-water zebrafish, both features that may make them better-suited to a transitional lifestyle. Our results suggest that zebrafish use distinct sensory mechanisms and metabolic physiology to reduce energetic costs of living in fast-flowing water while relying on morphology and behavior to create flexible solutions to a challenging habitat. Insights on animals' reliance on traits with different outcomes provide a framework to better understand their survival in future environmental fluctuations.

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Published In

Scientific reports

DOI

EISSN

2045-2322

ISSN

2045-2322

Publication Date

September 2023

Volume

13

Issue

1

Start / End Page

16398

Related Subject Headings

  • Zebrafish
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Rivers
  • Ecosystem
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Animals
  • Agriculture
 

Citation

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Suriyampola, P. S., Zúñiga-Vega, J. J., Jayasundara, N., Flores, J., Lopez, M., Bhat, A., & Martins, E. P. (2023). River zebrafish combine behavioral plasticity and generalized morphology with specialized sensory and metabolic physiology to survive in a challenging environment. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 16398. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42829-0
Suriyampola, Piyumika S., José Jaime Zúñiga-Vega, Nishad Jayasundara, Jennifer Flores, Melissa Lopez, Anuradha Bhat, and Emília P. Martins. “River zebrafish combine behavioral plasticity and generalized morphology with specialized sensory and metabolic physiology to survive in a challenging environment.Scientific Reports 13, no. 1 (September 2023): 16398. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42829-0.
Suriyampola PS, Zúñiga-Vega JJ, Jayasundara N, Flores J, Lopez M, Bhat A, et al. River zebrafish combine behavioral plasticity and generalized morphology with specialized sensory and metabolic physiology to survive in a challenging environment. Scientific reports. 2023 Sep;13(1):16398.
Suriyampola, Piyumika S., et al. “River zebrafish combine behavioral plasticity and generalized morphology with specialized sensory and metabolic physiology to survive in a challenging environment.Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, Sept. 2023, p. 16398. Epmc, doi:10.1038/s41598-023-42829-0.
Suriyampola PS, Zúñiga-Vega JJ, Jayasundara N, Flores J, Lopez M, Bhat A, Martins EP. River zebrafish combine behavioral plasticity and generalized morphology with specialized sensory and metabolic physiology to survive in a challenging environment. Scientific reports. 2023 Sep;13(1):16398.

Published In

Scientific reports

DOI

EISSN

2045-2322

ISSN

2045-2322

Publication Date

September 2023

Volume

13

Issue

1

Start / End Page

16398

Related Subject Headings

  • Zebrafish
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Rivers
  • Ecosystem
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Animals
  • Agriculture