Complex Sound Discrimination in Zebrafish: Auditory Learning Within a Novel "Go/Go" Decision-Making Paradigm.

ABSTRACT: Previous anatomic and physiologic studies of the peripheral and central auditory system, with rare exceptions, have relied on the use of tonal stimuli. Here, we test the hypothesis that zebrafish, Danio rerio, can detect and discriminate between two 6 s long complex sounds-a sequence of five multi-harmonic, noise-embedded constant frequency (NCF) tone pips and a chirp sequence consisting of six rapid downward frequency-modulated (DFM) sweeps. To test our hypothesis, we develop an associative conditioning assay, requiring prediction of an unconditioned stimulus (US). A video clip of a shoal of free-swimming zebrafish presented on an LCD screen serves as a desirable or rewarding US and a bullfrog with inflating and deflating vocal sacs serves as an aversive or fearful US. Within our n

SUBMITTER: Patel A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12691207 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature