Social maintenance masks induced aggression in zebrafish
Published in Research Square - Under Revision in Scientific Reports, 2024
Animal behavior is dynamically shaped by internal physiological states and external social contexts. In this study, we investigate how metabolic stress and social buffering jointly modulate aggression and exploratory behavior in adult zebrafish. We find that food deprivation and mirror exposure markedly increase aggressive displays while concomitantly reducing exploratory activity. Remarkably, the introduction of conspecific cues robustly suppresses aggression, regardless of the fish’s hunger state. These findings underscore the critical interplay between metabolic and social factors in stress-related behaviors and establish zebrafish as a powerful model for dissecting the neurobiological basis of social modulation and adaptive behavioral strategies.
Recommended citation: Kuniyil, A. A., Malik, M. S., Sivarajan, D., Amar, A., Chathooth, N., & Ramachandran, B. (2024). Social maintenance masks induced aggression in zebrafish
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