Looks like home: numerosity, but not spatial frequency guides preference in zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio).

ABSTRACT: Despite their young age, zebrafish larvae have a well-developed visual system and can distinguish between different visual stimuli. First, we investigated if the first visual surroundings the larvae experience during the first days after hatching shape their habitat preference. Indeed, these animals seem to "imprint" on the first surroundings they see and select visual stimuli accordingly at 7 days post fertilization (dpf). In particular, if zebrafish larvae experience a bar background just after hatching, they later on prefer bars over white stimuli, and vice versa. We then used this acquired preference for bars to investigate innate numerical abilities. We wanted to specifically test if the zebrafish larvae show real numerical abilities or if they rely on a lower-level mechanism-i.e. spa

SUBMITTER: Adam E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11283429 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature