We explore brain responses by Trinidadian killifish, Anablepsoides hartii, to parasitic infection by an intestinal nematode, examining effects on both brain size and plasticity. In the laboratory, stressors such as predators and social aggression commonly alter cell proliferation in the forebrain of fish. In our research, we examine the effect of parasite stress on the brain… Continue Reading
We examine the relationship between behavior and brain structural plasticity, particularly cell proliferation and neurogenesis (the formation of new neurons). In complex organisms, such as humans, it is difficult to study these relationships because the neural circuits controlling behavior are so numerous and interconnected. One organism in which the link between brain structure and behavior… Continue Reading
We use South American weakly electric fish and Trinidadian killifish to investigate the effects of predation on adult neurogenesis and brain morphology. Previously, we examined the effect of predation on brain cell proliferation in wild-caught electric fish, Brachyhypopomus occidentalis in Panama. Fish exposed to higher levels of predation risk and tail injuries from predators showed… Continue Reading