Fish brain and spatial cognition: neural basis of large scale migration

• Project/Area Number: 18H01104
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 10040:Experimental psychology-related
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Shigeru 慶應義塾大学, 文学部(三田), 名誉教授 (30051907)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 塚本 勝巳 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 特任教授 (10090474)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2021)
• Budget Amount: ¥17,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,990,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥2,990,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥690,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥7,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,800,000)
• Keywords: ウナギ / 空間認知 / 学習 / 大脳 / 視覚 / 脳損傷 / 側線器官 / 魚類 / 脳 / 外套 / 海馬 / 回遊 / 大規模回遊 / アロメトリー / 神経機構

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Morris maze-like apparatus was invented to study spatial learning in Japanese eels. The eels showed spatial learning in this apparatus. They used extra-maze visual cues for their learning. The telencephalic lesions impaired the learning. Their swimming behavior was also impaired by damages to the olfactory organ or visual organ. To examine gross anatomy of the eel’s brain, a new index of the brain size was invented and features of the eel brain was clarified using this index.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ウナギは日本人の好む食材であり、我々は古くからこれを賞味してきた。しかし、近年になってウナギ資源の減少が大きな問題になってきた。この問題の解決にはウナギの行動の基盤研究が必須であるが、従来水産学の枠組みで研究がなされており、個体レベルでの実験的研究は行われてこなかった。本研究はウナギの空間行動の初めての実験心理学的研究である。またウナギ脳の研究もこれまで手をつけられなかった領域である。本研究は直接ウナギ保全を目的としたものではないが、その為の基盤的情報を提供するものである。

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] CNRS(フランス)
• [Int'l Joint Research] University of Bielefd(ドイツ)
• [Int'l Joint Research] CNRS(フランス)
• [Int'l Joint Research] University of Bielefeld(ドイツ)
• [Journal Article] Impairments of spatial learning by telencephalic lesions in Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica). (2021)
  • Author(s): Watanabe,S.
  • Journal Title: Behavioral Brain Research Volume: 418 Pages: 113626-113626
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113626
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] 黄ウナギと銀ウナギの脳外部形態の比較 (2021)
  • Author(s): 渡辺茂
  • Journal Title: 東アジア鰻学会ニュースレター Volume: 19 Pages: 4-4
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Spatial learning in Japanese eels using extra- and intra-maze cues. (2020)
  • Author(s): Watanabe,S.
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Psychology Volume: 16
  • DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01350
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Spatial learning in Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica) (2019)
  • Author(s): Watanabe,S., Shinozuka,K.,
  • Journal Title: Animal Cognition Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Pages: 233-236
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10071-019-01320-y
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Age and growth of migrating tropical eels, Anguilla celebesensis and Anguilla marmorata (2018)
  • Author(s): Hagihara Seishi, Jun Aoyama, Daniel Limbong and Katsumi Tsukamoto
  • Journal Title: Journal of Fish Biology Volume: 92 Issue: 5 Pages: 1526-1544
  • DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13608
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Tracking;Anguilla japonica;silver eels using pop-up archival transmitting tags along the West Marina Ridge (2018)
  • Author(s): Higuchi Takatoshi, Shun Watanabe, Ryotaro Manabe, Tsuyoshi Kaku, Akihiro Okamura, Yoshiaki Yamada, Michael J. Miller and Katsumi Tsukamoto
  • Journal Title: Zoological Studies Volume: 57 Pages: 12-22
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Interspecific difference in downstream migratory season between two tropical eels, Anguilla celebesensis and Anguilla marmorata (2018)
  • Author(s): Hagihara Seishi, Jun Aoyama, Daniel Limbong and Katsumi Tsukamoto
  • Journal Title: Journal of Fish Biology Volume: 93 Issue: 4 Pages: 729-732
  • DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13750
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Effect of larval swimming in the western North Pacific subtropical gyre on the recruitment success of the Japanese eel (2018)
  • Author(s): Chang Yu-Lin K., Michael J. Miller, Katsumi Tsukamoto and Yasumasa Miyazawa
  • Journal Title: PLOS ONE Volume: 13 Issue: 12 Pages: 22-34
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208704
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] 日本ウナギにおける水流弁別 (2022)
  • Author(s): 渡辺茂
  • Organizer: 東アジア鰻学会
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] シンポジウム ウナギへの挑戦、ウナギでの挑戦―ラボからフィールドまで (2021)
  • Author(s): 渡辺茂・山本直之・萩尾華子・篠塚一貴・渡辺俊・市川光太郎・ 三田村啓理・黒木真里
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Impairments of spatial learning by telencephalic lesions in Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica) (2021)
  • Author(s): 渡辺茂
  • Organizer: 日本動物心理学会
• [Presentation] 黄ウナギと銀ウナギの脳外部形態の比較 (2021)
  • Author(s): 渡辺茂、篠塚一貴、山本直之、萩尾華子、萩原聖士
  • Organizer: 東アジア鰻学会
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 水の中の知性―水圏動物心理学の試み (2020)
  • Author(s): 渡辺茂、篠塚一貴、高橋宏司、幸田正典
  • Organizer: 日本動物心理学会
• [Presentation] Spatial learning in Japanese eels (2019)
  • Author(s): 渡辺茂
  • Organizer: 海馬と高次脳機能学会
• [Presentation] ウナギの空間認知 (2019)
  • Author(s): 渡辺茂・篠塚一貴
  • Organizer: 東アジア鰻学会
• [Presentation] 実験池におけるニホンウナギの行動解析 (2018)
  • Author(s): 渡邊 俊・増永 人志・濱田 将吾・加畑 幸哉・七里 泰斗・芹澤 健太・市川 光太郎・三田村 啓理・荒井 修亮・塚本 勝巳
  • Organizer: 日本魚類学会年会
• [Funded Workshop] The second meeting of the eel brain project (2019)