ABSTRACT
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a freshwater teleost fish native to the Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins and the surrounding floodplains across northeastern India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Maintaining high standards of management and husbandry for zebrafish includes monitoring water quality, providing appropriate nutrition, practicing disease and genetic management, completing regular health assessments, and maintaining regulatory compliance. As a highly social species, the most basic element of naturalistic housing for zebrafish is appropriately sized social groups and adequate space to accommodate the size of the social group. Avoiding both social isolation and overstocked conditions are critical. Anecdotal experience with laboratory zebrafish indicates a high level of sensitivity to human activity, suggesting that technicians may be able to influence the welfare of zebrafish by changing small aspects of their interactions. Additionally, laboratory personnel can help improve zebrafish welfare by mitigating negative experiences associated with human-animal interaction: use of analgesics and anesthetic when appropriate, reducing stress associated with transport, and encouraging positive interactions.
