Document type: scientific synthesis published in Aquaculture
Authors: Yijie He, Zonghang Zhang, Zhenghao Xiao, Bo Liang, Jiezhang Mo, Boshan Zhu, Wenhua Liu
Preview: Barren environments can lead to sensory deprivation and impaired behavioral functions, resulting in significant negative outcomes. However, increasing environmental complexity can mitigate these effects and enhance adaptability, a practice commonly known as environmental enrichment (EE). EE is gradually becoming an essential tool for animal behavior intervention, yet its development faces several challenges, including unstable experimental results and limited applicability of findings. These issues impede both the understanding of animal behavior mechanisms and the advancement of EE itself. This review provides an overview of the development and current applications of EE, and discusses key challenges that may constrain its further advancement, including the underrepresentation of biotic enrichment (BE), deficiencies in the existing classification frameworks, and the absence of effective implementation strategies. We further propose the Stimuli Input - Fish (Sensing - Processing) - Behavioral Output model and the stimuli-sensing classification system to address these gaps and enhance the scientific rigor of the current framework. Additionally, we present a practical framework for the design, validation, and application of EE strategies, with an emphasis on biotic and multi-sensory stimuli relevant to aquaculture settings. By further examining the role of EE in shaping individual behavioral adaptability, this review underscores its dual function not only as a practical tool for enhancing fish welfare, but also as a conceptual framework for investigating adaptive behavioral circuits. This integrative perspective supports both the refinement of hatchery design and release strategies, and the broader understanding of how environmental complexity drives behavioral plasticity across aquatic systems.
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