The zebrafish : a small animal with many advantages

The zebrafish

The zebrafish is a fish native to India and Malaysia. It lives in shallow waters such as rice paddies. It feeds on dry, live or frozen food, it is not difficult to satisfy.

This small species has become the star of the laboratory. The infatuation taken by researchers is due to its usefulness and practicality.
Indeed, there is an equivalent of between 70 and 85% of genes for zebrafish and us.
This high rate is not the only advantage !

Among its particularities, we have its reproduction. The fish lay eggs in the water. It only takes 3 days for one egg to give birth to a small fish with all its organs. Thanks to its yolk sac (source of nutrients), it then continues to grow without feeding until the 6th day, when it becomes completely independent. It can live up to 2 years.

Because of its size, it does not take up much space and is not expensive.
Moreover, it is easy and fast to raise by becoming an adult quickly.

This species is not considered a full-fledged animal in the first 6 days of its life. It does not feed and is therefore not subject to regulations. This advantage makes it easier to study the species.
A considerable advantage remains to be developed. Its transparent side in the early stages of development allows scientists to carry out their studies without having to occult and or enter the animal as with mice, which remain the most used animal even today.

At the molecular and cellular level, the zebrafish helps to analyze stem cells, viruses and toxins. It is often used in cancer research, toxicology or immunology.
However, it is quite distant from humans, which does not allow us to directly transpose our results.