Search
Presentation Details
| Effects of light and darkness on mass panic-like behavior in the zebrafish Danio rerio |
| William J Botta, Simon Garnier, Kristen Severi. New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States |
Mass panic, the contagious spread of fear within a group, can lead to disastrous consequences such as stampedes in humans and death spirals in ants. Mass panic is influenced by various factors including environment and sensory processes; previous studies suggest that detecting conspecifics increases the likelihood of panic spreading. We tested this by looking at how the absence of light impacts spontaneous panic-like behavior that zebrafish larvae exhibit when densely packed. Larvae were filmed in circular arenas of various sizes exposed to constant light or darkness with differing numbers of larvae, keeping group density constant. Contrary to predictions, dark conditions were associated with more panic-like events, not less, hinting at more complexity between visual environment and the modulation of mass panic. Panic-like events also occurred periodically with rest intervals in between, suggesting mass panics can continuously self-propagate after a synchronized rest period. These results suggest vision is not the only component in mass panic. Disrupting the resting period and altering other senses in the light and dark could further explain how these factors impact mass panic. |