Data from: Zebrafish imprint to amino acids: Evidence from attraction and avoidance tests

Imprinting to environmental cues is behind some of the most critically
important behaviours on the planet. In certain fishes, olfactory
imprinting is believed to direct return migration to natal areas. In this,
amino acids are putative imprintable odorants. We tested the ability of a
model fish (Danio rerio) to imprint to amino acids. We found that
developmental exposure to some amino acids could result in attraction,
avoidance or indifference later at adult stage. Imprinting to a binary
mixture of amino acids made from attracting and repelling amino acids
resulted in imprinting, which was surprising. However, the response was
avoidance, not attraction. These data suggest avoidance is a more powerful
driver of behavioural response. Our data highlight the specificity with
which a single amino acid can have in the imprinting response, as well as
the complexity that even the most basic of odorant mixtures can encode.