Nature Communications · 25 September 2026 · From issue 42
A cross-species atlas platform for comparative neuroscience in teleost fish
In two fish species, matching brain scans reveals different brain areas control social behavior.
Sumit Kumar Vohra, Tinatini Tavhelidse-Suck et al.
Two small fish, medaka and zebrafish, have brains built in different ways. Their genes also turn on in different patterns across brain regions. A new online tool lines up brain scans from both fish so scientists can compare them side by side. Using this tool, scientists found brain areas that react differently to social situations in each fish. This hints that social behavior evolved along separate paths in each species.
The tool aligns brain images, genes, and activity data across medaka and zebrafish.
Two fish species only, lab based, not tested in other animals.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 28 September 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Nature Communications). Read the source
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