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| The effects of net handling stress on breeding outcomes in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) |
| Kelly Cheung1, Alison Lai1, Kenneth Wong1, Benjamin Tsang1, Robert Gerlai1,2. 1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; 2Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
The zebrafish is extensively used as a model in numerous subfields of biology. Zebrafish are bred in laboratories and research facilities to supply researchers with experimental subjects and to propagate strains and populations of this fish. Traditional breeding methods often include netting the zebrafish from their home tank into breeding tanks, a procedure that we now know induces stress. Here, we investigated the effects of net handling stress on breeding outcomes. We set up breeding tanks with two breeding pairs per tank. In the stressed group, fish experienced a net moving in a figure-eight trajectory for 2 min in their breeding tank. In the control group, fish did not receive this stressor. We recorded the total number of eggs deposited and also the number of non-viable eggs counted the next day. We found net stress to apparently decrease the total number of eggs deposited and to significantly increase the number of non-viable eggs compared to the non-stress group. Our results suggest net handling stress negatively affects breeding outcome of zebrafish. |