RUI Sound localization in free swimming fish: multimodal sensory integration

本研究的主要目的是确定脊椎动物的感觉系统是如何整合来执行复杂的行为任务的。它将讨论如何处理多模式（听觉，前庭和机械感觉）的感觉输入。实验将在具有与哺乳动物相同的感觉细胞（毛细胞）和前庭系统的牡蛎蟾蜍鱼身上进行，确保结果将引起脊椎动物感觉生理学家的广泛兴趣。研究者将使用一个神经遥测发射器标签，记录自由游动的鱼的神经冲动，这将把实验从工作台顶部转换到环境中，并允许神经活动与自然环境中的正常行为相关联。这项研究将解决神经行为学中两个长期存在的问题：鱼类如何在水下定位声音，以及自我产生的运动对双峰感觉器官（听觉和前庭或机械感觉）的影响。该奖项将支持对研究型本科院校中代表性不足群体的本科生和一名中学科学教师的培训。实验将描述复杂行为序列的多模态感觉引导，以进一步了解感觉整合的神经机制。鱼类的声音定位在发现猎物、躲避捕食者和种内交流中起着重要作用。虽然陆生动物利用耳间时间延迟来定位声音，但水下更快的声速，加上非常短的耳间距离，表明鱼类必须利用其他机制。机械感觉侧线在探测水运动中的作用已经确立，然而，最近的证据表明它可能起听觉作用。神经突以不同的方向分布在整个头部和躯干，可能有助于近场声音检测和定位。研究人员将研究蟾鱼侧线的声音敏感性，以确定它是否有助于声音定位。蟾蜍鱼是生物声学研究中可靠的神经行为学模型，因为雄性蟾蜍鱼会通过声音吸引雌性蟾蜍鱼到产卵地点。牡蛎蟾蜍鱼的宽阔头部包含间距广泛且易于接近的神经突和脑神经。在自由游动的鱼的声音定位实验中，神经遥测标签将允许通过同时记录侧线和耳石来检查多模态感觉整合。趋声性实验将确定是否需要浅表和/或管状神经鞘来进行声音定位。该研究将提供更清晰的神经机制调节行为的认识，并为代表性不足的本科生和K-12教师提供培训。

The main goal for this investigation is determine how vertebrate sensory systems are integrated to perform complex behavioral tasks. It will address how multimodal (auditory, vestibular and mechanosensory) sensory input is processed. The experiments will be performed in the oyster toadfish which possess the identical sensory cells (hair cells) and vestibular system found in mammals, assuring the results will have wide interest to vertebrate sensory physiologists. The investigator will use a neural telemetry transmitter tag, to record nerve impulses from free swimming fish which will transform the experiments from the bench top into the environment and allow the correlation of neural activity with normal behavior in a natural setting. The study will address two long standing questions in neuroethology: how fish localize sound underwater, and the effect of self generated movement on bimodal sensory (auditory and vestibular or mechanosensory) organs. The award will support training of undergraduate students from underrepresented groups at a research undergraduate institution and a middle school science teacher.The experiments will delineate multi-modal sensory guidance of a complex behavioral sequence to further our knowledge of the neural mechanisms of sensory integration. Sound localization for fish plays important roles in prey detection, predator avoidance, and intraspecific communication. Although terrestrial animals use interaural time delays to localize sound, the faster speed of sound underwater, combined with very short interaural distances suggests that fish must utilize alternative mechanisms. The role of the mechanosensory lateral line in detecting water movement has been established, however, recent evidence suggest that it may serve an auditory role. The widely spaced neuromasts are distributed throughout the head and trunk in different orientations and could potentially assist in nearfield sound detection and localization. The researchers will investigate acoustic sensitivity in the lateral line in the toadfish to determine if it contributes to sound localization. Toadfish are reliable neuroethological models for bioacoustic studies as males will acoustically attract females to nesting sites. The broad head of the oyster toadfish contains widely spaced and easily accessible neuromasts and cranial nerves. The neural telemetry tag will allow examination of multimodal sensory integration by simultaneously recording from both the lateral line and otoliths during sound localization experiments in free swimming fish. Phonotaxis experiments will determine if superficial and/or canal neuromasts are necessary for sound localization. The study will provide clearer understanding of the neural mechanisms regulating behavior and provide training to underrepresented undergraduate students and K-12 teachers.