Differences In Neural Activity, But Not Behavior, Across Social Contexts In Guppies, Poecilia reticulata

Abstract

Animals are continually faced with the challenge of producing context-appropriate social behaviors. In many instances, animals produce unrelated behaviors across contexts. However, in some instances the same behaviors are produced across different social contexts, albeit in response to distinct stimuli and with distinct purposes. We took advantage of behavioral similarities across mating and aggression contexts in guppies, Poecilia reticulata, to understand how patterns of neural induction differ across social contexts when behaviors are nonetheless shared across contexts. While these is growing interest in understanding behavioral mechanisms in guppies, resources are sparse. As part of this study, we developed a neuroanatomical atlas of the guppy brain as a research community resource. Using this atlas, we found that neural activity in the preoptic area reflected social context, whereas individual differences in behavioral motivation paralleled activity in the posterior tuberculum and ventral telencephalon (teleost homologs of the ventral tegmental area and lateral septum, respectively). Our findings suggest independent coding of social salience versus behavioral motivation when behavioral repertoires are shared across social contexts.\n\nSummary statementActivity in distinct brain regions reflects behavioral context versus social motivation in a in which behavioral repertoires are shared across social contexts (Trinidadian guppies, Poecilia reticulata).