Behavioral and brain- transcriptomic synchronization between the two opponents of a fighting pair of the fish Betta splendens.

ABSTRACT: Conspecific male animals fight for resources such as food and mating opportunities but typically stop fighting after assessing their relative fighting abilities to avoid serious injuries. Physiologically, how the fighting behavior is controlled remains unknown. Using the fighting fish Betta splendens, we studied behavioral and brain-transcriptomic changes during the fight between the two opponents. At the behavioral level, surface-breathing, and biting/striking occurred only during intervals between mouth-locking. Eventually, the behaviors of the two opponents became synchronized, with each pair showing a unique behavioral pattern. At the physiological level, we examined the expression patterns of 23,306 brain transcripts using RNA-sequencing data from brains of fighting pairs after a 20-m

SUBMITTER: Vu TD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7299326 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature