The zebrafish (Danio rerio): General aspects

Popular name in Brazil: “paulistinha”

Cyprinidae

Small size (around 2 to 4 cm)

Native from Southeast Asia

Live in shoals

Eggs develop externally

Transparent embryos

História natural

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http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05635.002

Natural history

História natural

 http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05635.003

Competidores

Predadores

Na Natural history

História naturalHistória naturalNa Natural history

Developmental biology of zebrafish

The anatomy of zebrafish

Camouflage response

Zebrafish and humans have a consistent neurochemical conservation

Most of their food come from the water column, mainly eating zooplankton and aquatic insects Animal Foods: eggs; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods;

zooplankton Plant Foods: algae; phytoplankton Foraging Behavior: filter-feeding Primary Diet: omnivore ; planktivore

Olfaction, vision, and motion detection via the lateral line

system help zebrafish perceive their local environment and evade potential predators

Movement in the surrounding water is detected by the

lateral line, which can detect small changes in pressure in the immediate environment.

Zebrafish respond to a broad range of chemical cues

detected by the olfactory bulb. Olfaction is particularly important for reproduction in zebrafish. Female zebrafish must come in contact with male gonadal pheromones in order to ovulate. Meanwhile, male zebrafish must come in contact with female pheromones in order to initiate spawning behavior

Basic behavioral traits

Zebrafish larvae has different strategies to avoid predation

Zebrafish usually form shoals with conspecifics

Is there any biological advantage?