Adult zebrafish favor vision over flow sensing in increasingly complex hydrodynamic environments.

Adult zebrafish rely more on vision than the lateral line system in complex hydrodynamic environments, especially under turbulent water conditions.

• Why it matters: Understanding how fish integrate sensory information is crucial for comprehending their ecological behaviors and survival strategies in natural habitats with varying water flow predictability.
• What they did: Researchers used an augmented reality flow-tank assay to expose adult zebrafish to different hydrodynamic conditions, from still to turbulent water, and measured their behavioral responses to visual stimuli.
• The result: Findings show zebrafish increase reliance on vision during turbulent flow, enabling better escape responses and position maintenance, indicating sensory strategies are adaptively tuned to environmental complexity.