Hunger Induced Perceptional Shift Influence Decisive Behavior In Zebrafish

The plasticity of behavioral traits is shaped by a complex interplay of metabolic state and extrinsic factors. All organisms including human beings are subjected to behavioral choices and complex decision-making processes. The normal mechanism underlying the behavioral choice requires flexibility in potential cost and benefit for better survival. Decisive behavior is closely linked to perception, through which organisms evaluate and interpret the available options, consciously or subconsciously, and settle on the best possible choice as the final decision. Decisions to escape from threats and approaching the prey are crucial for the survival of organisms and perception of predatory and prey stimuli influence these decisions. The predatory-prey perception is influenced by feeding state and hunger induces increased aggression and may influence decisive choice. Here zebrafish perceive small black dots as their prey and decide to approach it. In a hungry state, the perception of small dots as prey and the frequency of visits are higher than in a normal well-fed state. The zebrafish was exposed to its sympatric predator (Anabas) and showed avoidance behavior to both dots and predator in a normal state. In a hungry state, zebrafish exposed to both dots and predator, take more risks to approach the dots by avoiding predatory stimuli presented on the same side. These modulations in decisive behavior is triggered by predatory-prey perceptional shifts due to induced feeding state and the decision to take a risk in between life and a nutritional benefit is achieved by a balance between costs and benefits. Our results support, how hunger shifts behavioral decisions from avoidance to approach and thereby influences decisive behavior in zebrafish.