1st Edition

The Laboratory Zebrafish

By Claudia Harper, Christian Lawrence Copyright 2011
    274 Pages 91 Color Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Like other books in the Laboratory Animal Pocket Reference Series, this guide covers all aspects pertaining to the use of these organisms including their basic biology, humane care and management, husbandry, life support systems, regulatory compliance, technical procedures, veterinary care, and water quality management.

    In the relatively brief span of only a few decades, the zebrafish has gone from being mainly a hobby fish to a mainstream model animal employed by scientists to study everything from stem cells to the basis of behavioral changes induced by drug addiction. This rapid advance has been fueled largely by numerous and impressive advances in technology, along with detailed characterization of the animal on a genetic and molecular level. These developments have allowed scientists to leverage the many advantages of the zebrafish system to address many important questions in biology and human genetics and disease.

    However, there are few accepted and established standards for husbandry, management, and care for the fish in laboratory settings and even fewer comprehensive and constantly reliable resources. To this end, the goal of this handbook is to provide managers, veterinarians, investigators, technicians, and regulatory personnel with a concise yet thorough reference on zebrafish biology, care, husbandry, and management.

    The aim of the book is not to set standards, but rather to arm those working with the fish with scientifically grounded principles and fundamental information that can be used to design sound fish care programs. This handbook is organized into seven chapters:

    Biology
    Husbandry
    Life Support Systems
    Management
    Veterinary Care
    Experimental Methodology
    Resources

    The final chapter, Resources, provides the zebrafish user with lists of sources of additional information on the zebrafish model, as well as key references, professional organizations, and suppliers of equipment and supplies used in zebrafish husbandry and care.

    BIOLOGY
    INTRODUCTION
    NATURAL HISTORY
    GENETICS
    GENETIC STRAINS
    NOMENCLATURE
    BEHAVIOR
    ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
    CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND HEMATOLOGY
    HUSBANDRY
    NUTRITION AND FEEDING
    BREEDING
    LARVICULTURE
    HOUSING DENSITY
    GENETIC MANAGEMENT
    IDENTIFICATION AND RECORD KEEPING
    TRANSPORTATION
    LIFE SUPPORT
    FACILITY DESIGN
    HOUSING SYSTEMS
    WATER SOURCE
    WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT
    EFFLUENT MANAGEMENT
    MANAGEMENT
    REGULATORY AGENCIES AND COMPLIANCE
    INSTITUTIONAL ANIMAL CARE AND USE COMMITTEES
    OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
    DISPOSITION OF FISH
    VETERINARY CARE
    BASIC BIOLOGIC PARAMETERS
    ANIMAL WELFARE INDICATORS FOR FISH
    STRESS RESPONSE IN FISH
    CLINICAL CASE MANAGEMENT AND SAMPLE COLLECTION
    COMMON DISEASES OF THE LABORATORY ZEBRAFISH
    PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
    HEALTH SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING
    ANESTHESIA AND EUTHANASIA
    EXPERIMENTAL METHODOLOGY
    RESTRAINT
    SAMPLING METHODS
    COMPOUND ADMINISTRATION
    SURGICAL PROCEDURES
    RESOURCES
    ORGANIZATIONS
    PUBLICATIONS
    ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
    EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES
    APPENDIX 1.
    SAMPLE ARTEMIA DECAPSULATION SOP
    APPENDIX 2.
    SAMPLE ZEBRAFISH FACILITY CHECKSHEET
    BIBLIOGRAPHY
    INDEX

    Biography

    Claudia Harper, Christian Lawrence