Evaluating evasion strategies in zebrafish larvae

作者：Yusheng Jiao, Brendan Colvert, Yi Man, Matthew J. McHenry, Eva Kanso · 发表于：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1073/pnas.2218909120 · 被引用次数：16 · 研究领域：Fish Ecology and Management Studies、Zebrafish Biomedical Research Applications、Animal Behavior and Reproduction

An effective evasion strategy allows prey to survive encounters with predators. Prey are generally thought to escape in a direction that is either random or serves to maximize the minimum distance from the predator. Here, we introduce a comprehensive approach to determine the most likely evasion strategy among multiple hypotheses and the role of biomechanical constraints on the escape response of prey fish. Through a consideration of six strategies with sensorimotor noise and previous kinematic measurements, our analysis shows that zebrafish larvae generally escape in a direction orthogonal to the predator's heading. By sensing only the predator's heading, this orthogonal strategy maximizes the distance from fast-moving predators, and, when operating within the biomechanical constraints of the escape response, it provides the best predictions of prey behavior among all alternatives. This work demonstrates a framework for resolving the strategic basis of evasion in predator-prey interactions, which could be applied to a broad diversity of animals.