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The shark Chiloscyllium griseum can orient using turn responses before and after partial telencephalon ablation

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Abstract

This study assessed spatial memory and orientation strategies in Chiloscyllium griseum. In the presence of visual landmarks, six sharks were trained in a fixed turn response. Group 1 started from two possible compartments approaching two goal locations, while group 2 started from and approached only one location, respectively. The learning criterion was reached within 9 ± 5.29 (group 1) and 8.3 ± 3.51 sessions (group 2). Transfer tests revealed that sharks had applied a direction strategy, possibly in combination with some form of place learning. Without visual cues, sharks relied solely on the former. To identify the underlying neural substrate(s), telencephalic were lesioned and performance compared before and after surgery. Ablation of the dorsal and medial pallia only had an effect on one shark (group 1), indicating that the acquisition and retention of previously gained knowledge were unaffected in the remaining four individuals. Nonetheless, the shark re-learned the task. In summary, C. griseum can utilize fixed turn responses to navigate to a goal; there is also some evidence for the use of external visual landmarks while orienting. Probably, strategies can be used alone or in combination. Neither the dorsal nor medial pallium seems to be responsible for the acquisition and processing of egocentric information.

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Abbreviations

ITI:

Inter-trial interval

MS222:

Tricaine methanesulfonate

PFA:

Paraformaldehyde

POP:

Post-operative phase

SC:

Starting compartment

T1, T2, T3:

Transfer test 1, transfer test 2, transfer test 3

TrP:

Training phase

TP:

Transfer phase

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Ursula Dung for conducting experiments during the training phase and Slawa Braun for animal caretaking, maintenance and repairs. We are specifically grateful to Dr. med. Ulrich Gerigk for his valuable help with surgical sewing. The research reported herein was performed under the guidelines established by the current German animal protection law (Landesamt für Natur, Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz NRW, 8.87-50.10.37.09.198).

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  1. Abteilung für vergleichende Sinnes- und Neurobiologie, Institut für Zoologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 169, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    Theodora Fuss, Horst Bleckmann & Vera Schluessel

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  1. Theodora Fuss
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  2. Horst Bleckmann
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  3. Vera Schluessel
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Correspondence to Theodora Fuss.

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Fuss, T., Bleckmann, H. & Schluessel, V. The shark Chiloscyllium griseum can orient using turn responses before and after partial telencephalon ablation. J Comp Physiol A 200, 19–35 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-013-0858-y

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