Shumway Lab Research

Shumway Lab – Research Evolution of Brain and Behavior in African Cichlid Fishes
VISUAL ACUITY
Visual Acuity Setup Average response of each species at each grating size. A) Habitat comparison B) Social comparison Minimum separable angle (the minimum angle which a stimulus can project onto the eye and still be determined) is graphed in relation to habitat complexity (A.) and social behavior (B.).		How does Habitat Complexity and Social Behavior Affect Visual Ability? BACKGROUND Do the visual demands of particular habitats confer different visual abilities? We tested the visual ability of fish varying in habitat complexity and social organization. We tested the fishes' visual ability by measuring their visual acuity, the same thing that is measured in humans when they look at an eye chart in a doctors office. The visual acuity was measured by rotating a square-wave grating (alternating black and white bars) around a subject and monitoring their optimotor/optokinetic response. RESULTS Asprotilapia leptura, the rock-dwelling species, has a better visual acuity than the intermediate habitat-dwelling Xenotilapia spiloptera and the sand-dwelling Xenotilapia flavipinnis. Enantiopus melanogenys a polygamous, maternal mouth-brooder has a better visual ability than the monogamous, biparental mouth-brooder, Xenotilapia flavipinnis. Publication: Dobberfuhl, A.P., J. Ullmann and C.A. Shumway. (2005). Visual Acuity, environmental complexity and social organization in African cichlid fishes. Behav. Neurosci. 119(6) 1648-1655. (PDF)

How does Experience-Dependent Plasticity Play a Role in Visual Ability? Are the visual ablilities of cichlids a product of their environment during development? Can visual ability be changed by altering the physical or social environment that the fish live in? We raised three groups of the sand dwelling X. flavipinnis to find out if visual abilities are plastic: 1) Control: normal group, normal habitat, 2) normal group, rock habitat, 3) social isolation, normal habitat. At four months we tested their visual acuity. We found that a change in social complexity affected visual acuity, but a change in habitat complexity did not. The fish raised in social isolation had a significantly decreased visual ability. This work was conducted by Elizabeth Higgins as an Honors Thesis at Boston College

More Research at New England Aquarium!

HOME CONSERVATION CONTACTS

Evolution of Brain and Behavior in African Cichlid Fishes

VISUAL ACUITY

Visual Acuity Setup

Average response of each species at each grating size.

A) Habitat comparison
B) Social comparison

Minimum separable angle (the minimum angle which a stimulus can project onto the eye and still be determined) is graphed in relation to habitat complexity (A.) and social behavior (B.).

How does Habitat Complexity and Social Behavior Affect Visual Ability?

BACKGROUND
Do the visual demands of particular habitats confer different visual abilities? We tested the visual ability of fish varying in habitat complexity and social organization. We tested the fishes' visual ability by measuring their visual acuity, the same thing that is measured in humans when they look at an eye chart in a doctors office. The visual acuity was measured by rotating a square-wave grating (alternating black and white bars) around a subject and monitoring their optimotor/optokinetic response.

RESULTS
Asprotilapia leptura, the rock-dwelling species, has a better visual acuity than the intermediate habitat-dwelling Xenotilapia spiloptera and the sand-dwelling Xenotilapia flavipinnis.
Enantiopus melanogenys a polygamous, maternal mouth-brooder has a better visual ability than the monogamous, biparental mouth-brooder, Xenotilapia flavipinnis.

Publication: Dobberfuhl, A.P., J. Ullmann and C.A. Shumway. (2005). Visual Acuity, environmental complexity and social organization in African cichlid fishes. Behav. Neurosci. 119(6) 1648-1655. (PDF)

How does Experience-Dependent Plasticity Play a Role in Visual Ability?

Are the visual ablilities of cichlids a product of their environment during development? Can visual ability be changed by altering the physical or social environment that the fish live in?

We raised three groups of the sand dwelling X. flavipinnis to find out if visual abilities are plastic: 1) Control: normal group, normal habitat, 2) normal group, rock habitat, 3) social isolation, normal habitat. At four months we tested their visual acuity. We found that a change in social complexity affected visual acuity, but a change in habitat complexity did not. The fish raised in social isolation had a significantly decreased visual ability.

This work was conducted by Elizabeth Higgins as an Honors Thesis at Boston College

More Research at New England Aquarium!

HOME CONSERVATION CONTACTS