Shoal Keepers

Fish socialise in a complex dance – a distinctive getting-to-know-you weave not unlike teenagers at a disco. These artificially-coloured zebrafish are mirroring each other’s movements in a study of social neuroscience – identifying areas of their brains important to early bonding. Disabling a specific group of brain cells in a zebrafish’s forebrain disrupts how it ‘orientates’ to nearby partner fish, or perhaps their whole social group or shoal. This affects nearby healthy fish, too, who are unable to mirror their new friend’s distracted behaviour and lose interest. Researchers believe similar cells found in mice and humans, or the genes inside them, could be faulty in conditions like autism, increasing the challenge of social situations. While still a long way from suggesting new treatments, this fishy model is a perfect platform for testing theories based on what we have in common.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Image from work by Sarah J. Stednitz and colleagues
• Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
• Image copyright held by the original authors
• Research published in Current Biology, August 2018