Behavioral analysis of fish activity by a computer image processing system

我们开发了一个计算机图像处理系统来获取鱼缸中自由运动的金鱼的位置坐标。该系统由两个CCD摄像机和两个接口I/O板组成。输出输入IBM PC/AT兼容计算机。利用该图像处理系统，可以获得金鱼长时间的实时运动轨迹图。此外，我们构建了各种分析直方图（移动速度，右或左转弯，身体轴的倾斜度）来定量评分鱼类的行为。我们将这些分析应用于视神经半切治疗后金鱼的行为。实验过程引起了不正常的转向和向完整侧倾斜行为。这种异常持续7-10天，然后逐渐恢复到对照鱼，直到视神经损伤后30-40天。为了证实视神经的再生，我们将示踪剂HRP注射到一只视神经半切除的眼睛中，并在治疗后随访视神经顶盖的视神经末梢。半切后30天，处理后的金鱼与对照组一样完成视网膜-顶盖连接。用^ 3h -脯氨酸标记法对再生视神经进行定量分析。这些结果表明，金鱼视神经半切后在细胞和行为水平上完全再生。上述各种方法均具有良好的相关性。因此，计算机图像处理系统是一种非常有用的鱼类行为量化工具，也适用于鱼类科学的其他领域。

We developed a computer image processing system to acquire positional coordinates of goldfish freely moving in an aquarium. The system was composed of two CCD cameras and two interface I/O boards. The output was fed into an IBM PC/AT compatible computer. By using this image processing system, we could get a trace map of moving goldfish on real time for a long period. Furthermore, we constructed various analytical histograms (moving velocity, right or left turning, inclination of body axis) to quantitatively score fish behavior. We applied these analyzes for the goldfish behavior after treatment of hemisection of the optic nerve. The experimental procedure induced abnormal turning and inclinating behaviors toward the intact side. This abnormality continued for 7-10 days and then were gradually recovered to control fish until 30-40 days after optic nerve injury. To confirm regeneration of the optic nerve, a tracer HRP was injected to one eye, in which the optic nerve had been hemisectioned, and optic nerve terminals in the optic tectum were followed after treatment. The retino-tectal connection of treated goldfish was completed like control by 30 days after hemisection. The regenerating optic nerve was also quantified by ^3H-proline labeling method. These results indicate complete regeneration of the goldfish optic nerve after hemisection at a cellular and a behavioral level. The all different methods described above were good correlated each other. Therefore, the computer image processing system is a very useful quantitation tool for fish behavior and is applicable to the other field of fish science.