Environmental impacts on visual perception modulate behavioral responses of schooling fish to looming predators

Aggregation in socially living fishes has evolved to improve safety from predators. The individual interaction mechanisms that govern collective behavior are determined by the sensory systems that translate environmental information into behavior. In dynamic environments, shifts in conditions impede effective visual sensory perception in fish schools and may induce changes in the collective response. Here, we consider whether environmental conditions that affect visual contrast modulate the collective response of schools to looming predators. By using a virtual environment to simulate four contrast levels, we tested whether the collective state of fish schools was modified in response to a looming optical stimulus. Our results indicate that fish swam slower and were less polarized in lower contrast conditions. Additionally, schooling metrics known to be regulated by non-visual sensory systems became more correlated with decreasing contrast. Over the course of the escape response, school..., , , # Environmental impacts on visual perception modulate behavioral responses of schooling fish to looming predators:

This dataset consists of the quantified schooling behavior metrics for each experimental trial where the looming stimulus approaches the fish school within the Holocube virtual arena.

* The species studied in these results is fathead minnow (*Pimephales promelas*)

* A trial consists of the looming stimulus expanding from one face of the Holocube, passing through the arena, and contracting on the opposite side.

* Both mean values of each schooling metric, as well as time series data over the behavioral response interval are included for each trial.

* Trials were performed at four different environmental contrast levels: high, medium-high, medium-low, and low.

## Data and File Structure Description

Two main data files are included:

**1) Means Data:** This dataset contains the quantified schooling behavior parameters (nearest neighbor distance, Angle to the nea...