A sensation for inflation: initial swim bladder inflation in larval zebrafish is mediated by the mechanosensory lateral line.

ABSTRACT: Larval zebrafish achieve neutral buoyancy by swimming up to the surface and taking in air through their mouths to inflate their swim bladders. We define this behavior as 'surfacing'. Little is known about the sensory basis for this underappreciated behavior of larval fish. A strong candidate is the mechanosensory lateral line, a hair cell-based sensory system that detects hydrodynamic information from sources like water currents, predators, prey, and surface waves. However, a role for the lateral line in mediating initial inflation of the swim bladder has not been reported. To explore the connection between the lateral line and surfacing, we utilized a genetic mutant ( lhfpl5b ^-/- ) that renders the zebrafish lateral line insensitive to mechanical stimuli. We observe that

SUBMITTER: Venuto A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9882242 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature