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Scott Juntti

@scottjuntti.bsky.social
599 followers 164 following 12 posts

Uncovering the roots of social behaviors

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Scott Juntti @scottjuntti.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Pairing this assay with our cichlid GCaMP calcium imaging will let us watch neural activity while they perform the behavior—connecting sensory processing, motor control, and evolutionary change in a highly accessible vertebrate system. Looking forward to more #neuroethology in this model!
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Scott Juntti @scottjuntti.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
This matters because visual input must be transformed into coordinated motor output, moment by moment. Comparing cichlids and zebrafish reveals that similar behavioral goals can be achieved through different movement strategies—linking evolutionary diversity to the organization of behavior.
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Scott Juntti @scottjuntti.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The answer is more sophisticated than “the tail propels fish forward.” #Cichlids use coordinated pectoral-fin and tail movements to make refined adjustments while tracking visual motion. They smoothly follow optomotor stimuli via constant corrections, and even use pectoral fins to swim backwards.
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Scott Juntti @scottjuntti.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
When a fish sees the world move, it immediately swims with it. This is the optomotor response: a visual reflex found across animals that helps us maintain our position and orientation as our surroundings appear to drift. 🐟👀
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