Their enduring popularity can be attributed to their playful disposition,[30] as well as their rapid breeding, aesthetics, cheap price and broad availability. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1018392109 Zebrafish can thus observe a very wide spectrum of colours. Ca2+ signaling and early embryonic patterning during zebrafish development, Proc Austral Physiol Soc 38:43-51. [5][6][7], The zebrafish is a derived member of the genus Brachydanio, of the family Cyprinidae.  |  [1][13] Its range is concentrated in the Ganges and Brahmaputra River basins, and the species was first described from Kosi River (lower Ganges basin) of India. Mnemiopsis leidyi: How nervous system developed in the Tree of life. However, they are susceptible to Oodinium or velvet disease, microsporidia (Pseudoloma neurophilia), and Mycobacterium species. [75], In 2008, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital developed a new strain of zebrafish, named Casper, whose adult bodies had transparent skin. The genome paper provides insights into various aspects of vertebrate evolution, such as that a key limb-specific enhancer for SHH expression is missing in sea lampreys, but present in jawed fish. [113] For example, the sapje (sap) mutant is the zebrafish orthologue of human Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a freshwater fish belonging to the minnow family (Cyprinidae) of the order Cypriniformes. [22], In research, adult zebrafish are often fed with brine shrimp, or paramecia. The tail then grows and separates from the body (24 h panel). [22][24] In the wild it is typically an annual species. Research with D. rerio has yielded advances in the fields of developmental biology, oncology,[36] toxicology,[37][38][39] reproductive studies, teratology, genetics, neurobiology, environmental sciences, stem cell research, regenerative medicine,[40][41] muscular dystrophies[42] and evolutionary theory.[9]. One such inhibitor is SP600125 which is a JNK inhibitor. Obese zebrafish, similar to obese mammals, show dysregulation of lipid controlling metabolic pathways, which leads to weight gain without normal lipid metabolism. [121] The (elasmoid) scales of zebrafish function as a protective external layer and are little bony plates made by osteoblasts. PLoS One. [80][81] As demonstrated through ongoing research programmes, the zebrafish model enables researchers not only to identify genes that might underlie human disease, but also to develop novel therapeutic agents in drug discovery programmes. (A) Dorsal view of the convergence and extension movements during zebrafish gastrulation. The researchers cloned oestrogen-sensitive genes and injected them into the fertile eggs of zebrafish. [32] Xanthistic forms of both the zebra and leopard pattern, along with long-finned subspecies, have been obtained via selective breeding programs for the aquarium trade. [71], In October 2001, researchers from the University of Oklahoma published D. rerio's complete mitochondrial DNA sequence. As an example, transgenic zerbafish with overexpressed AgRP, an endogenous melacortin antagonist, showed increased body weight and adipose deposition during growth. [8] Zebrafish are also closely related to the genus Devario, as demonstrated by a phylogenetic tree of close species. This review provides an orientation to the zebrafish as a model system, from its ecology and life history to its early use in research and adoption as a key genetic model for vertebrate development. [50][55] Study of gene expression during regeneration has allowed for the identification of several important signaling pathways involved in the process, such as Wnt signaling and Fibroblast growth factor.[55][56].