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Abstract #2385

Three-Dimensional Stereotaxic Atlas of the Mozambique Tilapia (Oreochromis Mossambicus) using High-Resolution MRI.

Marleen Verhoye1, Jos Miguel Simes2,3, Magda Teles2,3, Annemie Van Der Linden1, Rui F. Oliviera2,3

1Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; 2Unidade de Investigao em Eco-Etologia, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Lisboa, Portugal; 3Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Instituto Gulbenkian de Cincia, Oeiras, Portugal


The increasing number of genetic tools available for the African cichlid Oreochromis mossambicus (Mozambique tilapia), together with the emerging interest in its use for neurobiological studies, increased the need for an accurate mapping of the tilapia brain. Our goal was to elaborate a T2-weighted 3D-digital atlas using magnetic resonance imaging on perfused tilapia brain. Resulting images enabled accurate segmentation of most brain nuclei in the olfactory bulb, telencephalon, diencephalon, optic tectum and cerebellum. This tilapia brain atlas is expected to become a very useful tool for neuroscientists using this fish model and will certainly expand their use in future studies.