Does personality influence hypoxia tolerance in zebrafish, Danio rerio?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18192/osurj.v5i2.8051Abstract
Laboratory-reared zebrafish (Danio rerio) show substantial individual variation in hypoxia
tolerance, measured as time to loss of equilibrium (LOE) under low oxygen conditions. In our
lab population, some individuals lose equilibrium within minutes, while others tolerate
hypoxia for extended periods of time. While physiological traits such as hemoglobin-oxygen
binding affinity and gill surface area are known to influence hypoxia tolerance, behavioural
differences may also help explain this variation. This project investigated whether personality
traits, such as boldness, were associated with hypoxia tolerance in zebrafish. Personality was
assessed via two behavioural assays: the novel tank diving test and the emergence test, which
were repeated one week apart to determine repeatability. Boldness was quantified using
latency to reach the top (novel tank test) and latency to emerge (emergence test), where
longer latencies indicate a more risk-averse (less bold) personality. Behavioural responses
during hypoxia exposure were also measured, including activity levels and aquatic surface
respiration (ASR). ASR is a behaviour in which fish ventilate at the air-water interface, where
oxygen availability is higher. Use of this behaviour may reflect variation in boldness during
low oxygen conditions because it entails going to an exposed area and possibly taking on
risk/danger. Behavioural metrics were compared with time-to-LOE to determine whether
consistent behavioural profiles correlated with hypoxia tolerance. This project attempts to
gain a better understanding of how personality may influence an individual's response to
hypoxia by taking into account behavioural and physiological approaches.
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