Cobalt Chloride Treatment Used to Ablate the Lateral Line System Also Impairs the Olfactory System in Three Freshwater Fishes

摘要: Fishes use multimodal signals during both inter- and intra-sexual displays to convey information about their sex, reproductive state, social status. These complex behavioral can include visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, hydrodynamic signals, the relative role of each sensory channel in these multi-sensory interactions is a common focus neuroethology. The mechanosensory lateral line system fishes detects near-body water movements implicated variety behaviors including schooling, rheotaxis, communication, prey detection. Cobalt chloride commonly used chemically ablate neuromasts, thereby eliminating water-movement cues test for mechanosensory-mediated functions. However, cobalt acts as nonspecific calcium antagonist could potentially disrupt function all superficially located receptor cells, those chemosensing. Here, we examined whether CoCl2 treatment also impairs olfaction three freshwater fishes, African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni, goldfish Carassius auratus, Mexican blind cavefish Astyanax mexicanus. To examine impact on activity peripheral receptors, quantified DASPEI fluorescence intensity olfactory epithelium from exposed control solutions. In addition, brain activation processing regions A. burtoni immersed either or All species had decreased staining epithelium, caused reduced neural brain. our knowledge this first empirical evidence demonstrating that same function. data have important implications future research suggest previous studies using should be reinterpreted context impaired mechanoreception olfaction.