Encoding of geometric and featural spatial information by goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Abstract

Goldfish (Carassius auratus) were trained in different place-finding tasks as a means of analyzing their ability to encode the geometric and the featural properties of the environment. Results showed that goldfish could encode and use both geometric and featural information to navigate. Goldfish trained in a maplike, or relational, procedure encoded both types of information in a single representation. In contrast, fish trained in a directly cued procedure developed 2 independent and competing strategies. These results suggest that the geometric properties of the spatial arrangement and discrete landmarks are sensitive to encoding in a maplike or relational system, whereas different sources of spatial information are encoded in a single and flexible representation of the environment.