Zebrafish

The maintenance conditions of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) breeding stock affect the survival and behavior of their offspring

The environment in which we live influences our biological traits throughout our ontogeny, being markedly significant during the beginning of our lives. Some characteristics inherited (genetically and/or epigenetically) from parents can also influence individual development, known as transgenerational effects. In...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, ReproductionAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Amaral, F. U. I., Pompermaier, A., Rutikoski, G. et al. 2025. The maintenance conditions of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) breeding stock affect the survival and behavior of their offspring. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 292, 106761.

Editorial: Fish welfare in aquaculture and research—where are we going?

Rapid technical developments are taking place in aquaculture, and its production is increasing globally every year by more than 4%. Research is the necessary foundation for politics to define reasonable regulations and recommend guidelines for aquaculture, but also the basis...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Rearing & Weaning, Stocking Density, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Pietsch, C. 2025. Editorial: Fish welfare in aquaculture and research—where are we going? Animals 15(16), 2367.

Evaluating the suitability of substrate enrichment for Zebrafish in high-capacity research aquaria

Zebrafish, Danio rerio, show a preference for substrate enrichment within their tanks however this is seldom included within high-capacity research aquaria due to fears its inclusion may impact on their ability to breed on demand. To investigate this potential impact...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, ReproductionAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: McKay-West, J., Green, M., Chance, R. 2025. Evaluating the suitability of substrate enrichment for Zebrafish in high-capacity research aquaria. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(2), 108–112.

From Fish to Mice to Monkeys in Research: Challenges and Opportunities for Mental Well-being

This chapter focuses mainly on animals in medical research. Many, especially the smaller species such as rat, mice, and zebrafish, may be seen only a few minutes a day by their human caregivers. Most laboratory animals are kept in confinement...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Regulations & Ethical Review, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: All/General, Fish, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Rat, Rodent, Zebrafish

Citation: Serageldine, C. E., Robinson-Junker, A., Alvino, G. et al. 2025. From Fish to Mice to Monkeys in Research: Challenges and Opportunities for Mental Well-being. In Mental Health and Well-being in Animals (pp. 308–322).

Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals

This 30-chapter volume informs students and professionals about the behavioral biology of animals commonly housed in laboratory and other captive settings. Each species evolved under specific environmental conditions, resulting in unique behavioral patterns, many of which are maintained in captivity...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Rearing & Weaning, Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General, Amphibian, Baboon, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Chicken, Crocodile & Alligator, Dog, Equine, Ferret, Finch, Fish, Fowl, Frog & Toad, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Lizard, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Rodent, Owl Monkey, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Reptile, Rodent, Salamander, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey), Zebrafish

Citation: Coleman, K., Schapiro, S. J. (Eds.) 2022. Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals (1st Ed.). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 560 p.

Housing and husbandry factors affecting zebrafish novel tank test responses: A global multi-laboratory study

The reproducibility crisis in bioscience, characterized by inconsistent study results, impedes our understanding of biological processes. Global collaborative studies offer a unique solution to this problem. Here, we present a global collaboration using the zebrafish (Danio rerio) novel tank test,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Hillman, C., Fontana, B. D., Amstislavskaya, T. G. et al. 2025. Housing and husbandry factors affecting zebrafish novel tank test responses: A global multi-laboratory study. Lab Animal 54(6), 156–164.

An adaptable, user-friendly score sheet to monitor welfare in experimental fish

Fish are increasingly used as experimental animals across research fields. Currently, around a quarter of all experimental animals used are fish. Less than 20% of these are standard model species. Welfare assessments for experimental fish are in their infancy compared...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Shark & Ray, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Flueck-Giraud, M., Schmidt-Posthaus, H., Bergadano, A. et al. 2025. An adaptable, user-friendly score sheet to monitor welfare in experimental fish. Laboratory Animals 59(2), 226–241.

Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of electrical stunning on zebrafish larvae

Two methods dominate the way that zebrafish larvae are euthanized after experimental procedures: anesthetic overdose and rapid cooling. Although MS-222 is easy to apply, this anesthetic takes about a minute to act and fish show aversive reactions and interindividual differences,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Burkhardt, D.-S., Leyden, C., Thomas, C. et al. 2025. Behavioral and neurophysiological effects of electrical stunning on zebrafish larvae. Lab Animal 54(2), 50–58.

Good welfare is attractive: Female zebrafish (Danio rerio) prefer males from complex, well-resourced conditions over males from conventional barren laboratory tanks

Applied ethologists often find that sub-optimal housing (e.g. barren versus “enriched”, well-resourced conditions) impairs animals’ interactions with conspecifics. Furthermore, some housing effects on social/sexual interactions persist even in standardised test situations. For example, in mating tests on three mammalian and...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, ReproductionAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Lavery, J. M., Snaith, K., Pallarca, J. et al. 2025. Good welfare is attractive: Female zebrafish (Danio rerio) prefer males from complex, well-resourced conditions over males from conventional barren laboratory tanks. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 286, 106603.

Novel euthanasia technique for zebrafish using electric shock in standard group housing aquaria

Zebrafish are widely used in research, accounting for approximately 50% of all laboratory fish across Europe. Due to their rapid reproduction and aging, effective and practical euthanasia methods are necessary for managing large stocks. This study investigated whether adult zebrafish...

Year Published: 2025Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Saarinen, U., Sundell, E., Sneddon, L. et al. 2025. Novel euthanasia technique for zebrafish using electric shock in standard group housing aquaria. Scientific Reports 15(1), 3011.