Koets Lianne, van der Kwaak Tim, Schaaf Marcel, Tudorache Christian
Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE, Leiden, The Netherlands.
BMC Neurosci. 2025 Mar 20;26(1):25. doi: 10.1186/s12868-025-00944-w.
Coping styles are individually coherent sets of behavioural and physiological responses to stress. Coping styles are thought to remain consistent across context and time, and display a certain level of heritability. Here, we examined whether risk taking is a predictor for consistency and heritability of stress coping styles in both larval and adult zebrafish (Danio rerio).
A group emergence test where fish emerge from a familiar housing compartment into a potentially dangerous novel environment, established the level of risk taking of F0 generation adult zebrafish. The degree of risk taking appeared to be consistent over time and context. Then, the F0 risk taking degree was further correlated with various behavioural parameters related to stress coping of the F1 and F2 generations. In larval fish, these parameters were measured during a light dark challenge which elicits an anxiety like response. In adults, they were measured during a single emergence test and a combined open field and mirror biting test, estimating the degree of risk taking and the level of explorativeness and aggressiveness. The results show that (i) parental risk taking behaviour is a good predictor for a large number of larval and adult behavioural parameters, within and between generations; (ii) a number of these parameters are consistent over ontogenetic (larval and adult) stages within the same generation, and (iii) four of these parameters representing risk taking, aggressiveness, and swimming behaviour, were correlated over multiple generations, establishing heritability of coping styles.
We conclude that risk taking behaviour is a strong predictor of coping style within and between generations and behavioural parameters associated with risk taking are consistent over time and heritable over generations.
应对方式是个体对压力的一系列连贯的行为和生理反应。人们认为应对方式在不同情境和时间下保持一致，并具有一定程度的遗传性。在此，我们研究了冒险行为是否是斑马鱼幼体和成体应激应对方式一致性和遗传性的预测指标。
在群体出洞试验中，鱼从熟悉的饲养隔间进入潜在危险的新环境，以此确定F0代成年斑马鱼的冒险水平。冒险程度似乎在时间和情境上保持一致。然后，F0代的冒险程度进一步与F1代和F2代与应激应对相关的各种行为参数相关联。对于幼体鱼，这些参数是在明暗挑战期间测量的，该挑战会引发类似焦虑的反应。对于成体鱼，这些参数是在单次出洞试验以及旷场和镜像咬测试组合中测量的，以评估冒险程度以及探索性和攻击性水平。结果表明：（i）亲代的冒险行为是同一代内以及代与代之间大量幼体和成体行为参数的良好预测指标；（ii）其中一些参数在同一代的个体发育（幼体和成体）阶段保持一致；（iii）代表冒险、攻击性和游泳行为的其中四个参数在多代间相关，证实了应对方式的遗传性。
我们得出结论，冒险行为是代内和代间应对方式的有力预测指标，与冒险相关的行为参数在时间上保持一致且具有代际遗传性。
