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Measuring Larval Zebrafish Behavior: Locomotion, Thigmotaxis, and Startle

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Book cover Zebrafish Protocols for Neurobehavioral Research

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 66))

Abstract

Larval zebrafish are genetically tractable, easy to manipulate, and can be generated in large numbers. Their small size also makes them ideal for high-throughput screens for genes or pharmacological compounds that affect behavior. Thus, larval zebrafish are an ideal model system to investigate locomotion and locomotion-based behaviors such as thigmotaxis and startle. In this chapter, I present methods to measure locomotion, thigmotaxis, and response to a startle stimulus in larval zebrafish. These methods use a Zebrabox and Zebralab software (from ViewPoint Life Sciences) in a manner which is suitable for high-throughput analyses. I compare the locomotion and thigmotaxis of several widely available wild-type strains to demonstrate that these protocols are sensitive enough to detect behavioral differences in different genetic backgrounds. I also measure the difference in startle response between AB wild-type and r × 3−/− mutant fish. These protocols will help to standardize analyses of larval zebrafish locomotion and may provide a starting point for behavioral measurement of the large number of zebrafish mutants which have already been identified.

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Acknowledgments

I am extremely grateful to my supervisor, Dr. Laure Bally-Cuif, for her support of this project. The zebrafish embryos used in this study were kindly provided by Sebastian Bedu. I am also indebted to my colleagues Marion Coolen, Merlin Lange, and Jakob von Trotha for commenting on an earlier version of this chapter and to Katharina Stumpenhorst for help with behavioral experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zebrafish Neurogenetics, NED, INAF, UPR3294, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    William H. J. Norton

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  1. William H. J. Norton
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Correspondence to William H. J. Norton .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroscience Program, Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University, Tulane Ave. 1430, New Orleans, 70112, Louisiana, USA

    Allan V. Kalueff

  2. , Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University, Tulane Avenue 1430, New Orleans, 70112, Louisiana, USA

    Adam Michael Stewart

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Norton, W.H.J. (2012). Measuring Larval Zebrafish Behavior: Locomotion, Thigmotaxis, and Startle. In: Kalueff, A., Stewart, A. (eds) Zebrafish Protocols for Neurobehavioral Research. Neuromethods, vol 66. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-597-8_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-597-8_1

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61779-596-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-61779-597-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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