Lunch seminar with Stefano Mari WasserCluster, Lunz, Austria
Abstract
The role of environmental and dietary factors in determining brain organization and behaviour in fishes is still largely unknown. In this talk, I will present progress from my PhD research on two fronts: (1) how omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC PUFA) influence cognition, behaviour, ecological performance and brain development in brown trout (Salmo trutta), and (2) how habitat complexity and sexual behaviour represent selective pressures and drivers for variation in brain metrics such as regional weights, volumes, and neuronal composition. We found that n-3 LC PUFA enrichment improved cognitive performance and prey capture in semi-natural conditions, while promoting less bold behavioural types, although brain cellular composition remained unaffected. From the other front, neuronal composition varied across habitats, and females exhibited higher neuron counts in cognitive and somatosensory regions. This work contributes to a better understanding of the potential links between nutrition, habitat complexity, and brain-behaviour relationships in wild populations.