Influence of long-term social interaction on chirping behavior, steroid levels and neurogenesis in weakly electric fish.

ABSTRACT: Social interactions dramatically affect the brain and behavior of animals. Studies in birds and mammals indicate that socially induced changes in adult neurogenesis participate in the regulation of social behavior, but little is known about this relationship in fish. Here, we review studies in electric fish (Apteronotus leptorhychus) that link social stimulation, changes in electrocommunication behavior and adult neurogenesis in brain regions associated with electrocommunication. Compared with isolated fish, fish living in pairs have greater production of chirps, an electrocommunication signal, during dyadic interactions and in response to standardized artificial social stimuli. Social interaction also promotes neurogenesis in the periventricular zone, which contributes born cells to the p

SUBMITTER: Dunlap KD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3680506 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature