Optomotor response in zebrafish (Danio rerio) to black –white, gray-green and gray-red stimuli

Abstract

The optomotor response is one of the methods used for measuring zebrafish behavior towards moving objects. The present research has been carried out on zebrafish reaction to moving objects. In the experiment, newly fish matured of both sexes were used. To study the optical power of zebrafish an appropriate apparatus was designed. Experiments were performed with different widths of stripes in black , white (1, 2 , 7 cm) , with width stripes of 1 cm in red - gray , green - gray at different velocities of 2, 3, 4, 7, 10 , 15 rpm. Results of 2-way ANOVA showed significant differences between the various widths, velocities (P<0.05). Evaluation of results showed that at different widths , fish showed the most optomotor response at a velocity of 10 rpm (0.65±0.13) , the lowest response to velocity was shown at 2 rpm (-0.07±0.22) . Furthermore, the best visibility was observed with 1 cm width (0.70±0.13) (P<0.05). Experiment on color vision also showed that at different velocities , various colored strips, there is no significant difference (P>0.05). Nevertheless, the fish demonstrated the most optomotor response to green - gray color (0.10±0.13), a velocity of 10 rpm (0.41±0.13).