Oxytocin-mediated social preference and socially reinforced reward learning in the miniature fish Danionella cerebrum

Integrative studies of the diverse neuronal networks that govern social behavior are hindered by the lack of methods to record neural activity comprehensively across the entire brain. The recent development of the miniature fish Danionella cerebrum as a model organism offers one potential solution, as the small size and optical transparency of these animals makes it possible to visualize circuit activity throughout the nervous system1-4. Here, we establish the feasibility of using Danionella as a model for social behavior and socially reinforced learning by showing that adult fish exhibit strong affiliative tendencies, and that social interactions can serve as the reinforcer in an appetitive conditioning paradigm. Fish exhibited an acute ability to identify conspecifics and distinguish them from closely related species, which was mediated by both visual and particularly olfactory cues. These behaviors were abolished by pharmacological and genetic interference with oxytocin signaling, demonstrating the conservation of key neural mechanisms observed in other vertebrates5-11. Our work validates Danionella as a tool for understanding the social brain in general, and its modulation by neuropeptide signaling in particular.