Escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crab Chasmagnathus granulatus (Decapoda: Grapsidae)

Behavioral responses to looming stimuli have been studied in many vertebrate and invertebrate species, but neurons sensitive to looming have been investigated in very few animals. In this paper we introduce a new experimental model using the crab Chasmagnathus granulatus, which allows investigation...

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Publicado: 2007
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Acceso en línea:https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_00220949_v210_n5_p865_Oliva
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00220949_v210_n5_p865_Oliva
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spelling paper:paper_00220949_v210_n5_p865_Oliva2023-06-08T14:45:34Z Escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crab Chasmagnathus granulatus (Decapoda: Grapsidae) Chasmagnathus granulatus Crustacea Escape response Intracellular recording Looming detection Looming sensitive neurons Visual behavior animal Argentina article Brachyura brain comparative study electrophysiology escape behavior male nerve cell photostimulation physiology vision Animals Argentina Brachyura Brain Electrophysiology Escape Reaction Male Neurons Photic Stimulation Visual Perception Animalia Chasmagnathus granulata Crustacea Decapoda (Crustacea) Grapsidae Invertebrata Vertebrata Behavioral responses to looming stimuli have been studied in many vertebrate and invertebrate species, but neurons sensitive to looming have been investigated in very few animals. In this paper we introduce a new experimental model using the crab Chasmagnathus granulatus, which allows investigation of the processes of looming detection and escape decision at both the behavioral and neuronal levels. By analyzing the escape response of the crab in a walking simulator device we show that: (i) a robust and reliable escape response can be elicited by computer-generated looming stimuli in all tested animals; (ii) parameters such as distance, speed, timing and directionality of the escape run, are easy to record and quantify precisely in the walking device; (iii) although the magnitude of escape varies between animals and stimulus presentations, the timing of the response is remarkably consistent and does not habituate at 3 min stimulus intervals. We then study the response of neurons from the brain of the crab by means of intracellular recordings in the intact animal and show that: (iv) two subclasses of previously identified movement detector neurons from the lobula (third optic neuropil) exhibit robust and reliable responses to the same looming stimuli that trigger the behavioral response; (v) the neurons respond to the object approach by increasing their rate of firing in a way that closely matches the dynamics of the image expansion. Finally, we compare the neuronal with the behavioral response showing that: (vi) differences in the neuronal responses to looming, receding or laterally moving stimuli closely reflect the behavioral differences to such stimuli; (vii) during looming, the crab starts to run soon after the looming-sensitive neurons begin to increase their firing rate. The increase in the running speed during stimulus approach faithfully follows the increment in the firing rate, until the moment of maximum stimulus expansion. Thereafter, the neurons abruptly stop firing and the animal immediately decelerates its run. The results are discussed in connection with studies of responses to looming stimuli in the locust. 2007 https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_00220949_v210_n5_p865_Oliva http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00220949_v210_n5_p865_Oliva
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
topic Chasmagnathus granulatus
Crustacea
Escape response
Intracellular recording
Looming detection
Looming sensitive neurons
Visual behavior
animal
Argentina
article
Brachyura
brain
comparative study
electrophysiology
escape behavior
male
nerve cell
photostimulation
physiology
vision
Animals
Argentina
Brachyura
Brain
Electrophysiology
Escape Reaction
Male
Neurons
Photic Stimulation
Visual Perception
Animalia
Chasmagnathus granulata
Crustacea
Decapoda (Crustacea)
Grapsidae
Invertebrata
Vertebrata
spellingShingle Chasmagnathus granulatus
Crustacea
Escape response
Intracellular recording
Looming detection
Looming sensitive neurons
Visual behavior
animal
Argentina
article
Brachyura
brain
comparative study
electrophysiology
escape behavior
male
nerve cell
photostimulation
physiology
vision
Animals
Argentina
Brachyura
Brain
Electrophysiology
Escape Reaction
Male
Neurons
Photic Stimulation
Visual Perception
Animalia
Chasmagnathus granulata
Crustacea
Decapoda (Crustacea)
Grapsidae
Invertebrata
Vertebrata
Escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crab Chasmagnathus granulatus (Decapoda: Grapsidae)
topic_facet Chasmagnathus granulatus
Crustacea
Escape response
Intracellular recording
Looming detection
Looming sensitive neurons
Visual behavior
animal
Argentina
article
Brachyura
brain
comparative study
electrophysiology
escape behavior
male
nerve cell
photostimulation
physiology
vision
Animals
Argentina
Brachyura
Brain
Electrophysiology
Escape Reaction
Male
Neurons
Photic Stimulation
Visual Perception
Animalia
Chasmagnathus granulata
Crustacea
Decapoda (Crustacea)
Grapsidae
Invertebrata
Vertebrata
description Behavioral responses to looming stimuli have been studied in many vertebrate and invertebrate species, but neurons sensitive to looming have been investigated in very few animals. In this paper we introduce a new experimental model using the crab Chasmagnathus granulatus, which allows investigation of the processes of looming detection and escape decision at both the behavioral and neuronal levels. By analyzing the escape response of the crab in a walking simulator device we show that: (i) a robust and reliable escape response can be elicited by computer-generated looming stimuli in all tested animals; (ii) parameters such as distance, speed, timing and directionality of the escape run, are easy to record and quantify precisely in the walking device; (iii) although the magnitude of escape varies between animals and stimulus presentations, the timing of the response is remarkably consistent and does not habituate at 3 min stimulus intervals. We then study the response of neurons from the brain of the crab by means of intracellular recordings in the intact animal and show that: (iv) two subclasses of previously identified movement detector neurons from the lobula (third optic neuropil) exhibit robust and reliable responses to the same looming stimuli that trigger the behavioral response; (v) the neurons respond to the object approach by increasing their rate of firing in a way that closely matches the dynamics of the image expansion. Finally, we compare the neuronal with the behavioral response showing that: (vi) differences in the neuronal responses to looming, receding or laterally moving stimuli closely reflect the behavioral differences to such stimuli; (vii) during looming, the crab starts to run soon after the looming-sensitive neurons begin to increase their firing rate. The increase in the running speed during stimulus approach faithfully follows the increment in the firing rate, until the moment of maximum stimulus expansion. Thereafter, the neurons abruptly stop firing and the animal immediately decelerates its run. The results are discussed in connection with studies of responses to looming stimuli in the locust.
title Escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crab Chasmagnathus granulatus (Decapoda: Grapsidae)
title_short Escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crab Chasmagnathus granulatus (Decapoda: Grapsidae)
title_full Escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crab Chasmagnathus granulatus (Decapoda: Grapsidae)
title_fullStr Escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crab Chasmagnathus granulatus (Decapoda: Grapsidae)
title_full_unstemmed Escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crab Chasmagnathus granulatus (Decapoda: Grapsidae)
title_sort escape behavior and neuronal responses to looming stimuli in the crab chasmagnathus granulatus (decapoda: grapsidae)
publishDate 2007
url https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_00220949_v210_n5_p865_Oliva
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00220949_v210_n5_p865_Oliva
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