Oxytocin-mediated social preference and socially reinforced reward learning in the miniature fish Danionella cerebrum
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Summary: Integrative studies of the diverse neuronal networks that govern social behavior are hindered by the lack of methods to record neural activity comprehensively across the entire brain. The recent development of the miniature fish Danionella cerebrum as a model organism offers one potential solution, as the small size and optical transparency of these animals makes it possible to visualize circuit activity throughout the nervous system 1–4 . Here, we establish the feasibility of using Danionella as a model for social behavior and socially reinforced learning by showing that adult fish exhibit strong affiliative tendencies, and that social interactions can serve as the reinforcer in an appetitive conditioning paradigm. Fish exhibited an acute ability to identify conspecifics and distinguish them from closely related species, which was mediated by both visual and particularly olfactory cues. These behaviors were abolished by pharmacological and genetic interference with oxytocin signaling, demonstrating the conservation of key neural mechanisms observed in other vertebrates 5–11 . Our work validates Danionella as a tool for understanding the social brain in general, and its modulation by neuropeptide signaling in particular.
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The larval condition of the adult skeleton of Danionella, in which the skull roof is missing and the brain is covered only by skin, has led various researchers to turn to Danionella as the adult vertebrate model organism to study neurophysiological questions by deep imaging their brain activity in vivo.
“It is this larval condition of their adult skeleton, in which the skull roof is missing and the brain is covered only by skin, that has led various researchers to turn to Danionella as the adult vertebrate model organism to study neurophysiological questions by deep imaging their brain activity in vivo11–14.”
From The emerging vertebrate model species for neurophysiological studies is Danionella cerebrum, new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) (2021) · cites this paper as [12]
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe miniature adult size and larval appearance of Danionella, combined with a diverse behavioral repertoire linked to sound production by males, have established Danionella as an important model for neurophysiological studies.
“The miniature adult size and larval appearance of Danionella, combined with a diverse behavioral repertoire linked to sound production by males, have established Danionella as an important model for neurophysiological studies.”
From The emerging vertebrate model species for neurophysiological studies is Danionella cerebrum, new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) (2021) · cites this paper as [12]
The Introduction describes Danionella’s miniature adult size, retained immature features, and suitability for systems neuroscience; the Discussion reports social and learning behaviors and says the fish communicate vocally. The cited passages do not establish that males specifically produce the sounds, and the paper presents Danionella as a promising new model rather than an already established important one. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.85)
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Cites
Oxytocin, Neural Plasticity, and Social Behavior
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Oxytocin enhances social recognition by modulating cortical control of early olfactory processing
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From Whole-Brain Data to Functional Circuit Models: The Zebrafish Optomotor Response
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Sorted by citations
Britz, R., Conway, K. W., & Rüber, L. (2021) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-021-97600-0 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Hybrid genome assembly and annotation of Danionella translucida
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- Authors
- Penalva-Tena, A., Bedke, J., Gaudin, A., Barrios, J. P., Bertram, E. P. L., & Douglass, A. D.
- Affiliations
- University of Utah (US)
- Corresponding author
- Douglass, Adam D.
- Venue
- Current Biology
- Publisher
- openRxiv
- Published
- 2018-10-16
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 363-372.e3
- ISSN
- 0960-9822 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4405834473
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 8.22
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Current Biology (publishedVersion)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1545885)
- University of Utah
- National Institutes of Health
- Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution (IOS-1544885)
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Division of Integrative Organismal Systems
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Zebrafish Biomedical Research Applications
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Keywords
- oxytocin, social preferences, affiliative behavior, appetitive conditioning, conspecific recognition, olfactory cues, visual cues, neuropeptide signaling, social brain
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Learning, Male, Oxytocin, Reinforcement, Psychology, Reward, Social Behavior
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