Putting the fish in the fish tank: Immersive VR for animal behavior experiments

We describe a virtual-reality framework for investigating startle-response behavior in fish. Using real-time three-dimensional tracking, we generate looming stimuli at a specific location on a computer screen, such that the shape and size of the looming stimuli change according to the fish´s perspective and location in the tank. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the setup through experiments on Giant danio and compute the success rate in eliciting a response. We also estimate visual startle sensitivity by presenting the stimulus from different directions around the fish head. The aim of this work is to provide the basis for quantifying escape behavior in fish schools.