Elements of a stochastic 3D prediction engine in larval zebrafish prey capture.

ABSTRACT: The computational principles underlying predictive capabilities in animals are poorly understood. Here, we wondered whether predictive models mediating prey capture could be reduced to a simple set of sensorimotor rules performed by a primitive organism. For this task, we chose the larval zebrafish, a tractable vertebrate that pursues and captures swimming microbes. Using a novel naturalistic 3D setup, we show that the zebrafish combines position and velocity perception to construct a future positional estimate of its prey, indicating an ability to project trajectories forward in time. Importantly, the stochasticity in the fish's sensorimotor transformations provides a considerable advantage over equivalent noise-free strategies. This surprising result coalesces with recent findings that i

SUBMITTER: Bolton AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6930116 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature