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Rationale for the Classroom Culture of Brachydanio rerio. Jim Egenrieder Arlington Public Schools H-B Woodlawn Program www.hbwbiology.net jim@hbwbiology.net 703-599-3643. Why this species?. Species Characteristics Genetic background Culture tolerances Life Cycle Embryonic Development
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Rationale for the Classroom Culture of Brachydanio rerio Jim Egenrieder Arlington Public Schools H-B Woodlawn Program www.hbwbiology.net jim@hbwbiology.net 703-599-3643
Why this species? • Species Characteristics • Genetic background • Culture tolerances • Life Cycle • Embryonic Development • Classroom suitability
Genus Characteristics • Communal • Tolerant of a range of water quality • Small (<8cm) • Easy to breed • Pet quality
Characteristics of B. rerio • Family: Cyprinidae (Carps & minnows) • Origin: India, Peninsula India, Ganges Basin - Up to Nepal • Slow moving streams and still waters
Characteristics of B. rerio • Found in groups in open areas at the surface. • Size: up to 6cm
Characteristics of B. rerio • Abiotic preferences: • pH: 6.0-8.0 • dH: 5.0-19.0 • temperature:18-24°C
Genetic Background • Gametes can be stripped easily and non-invasively for in vitro fertilization where haploid, triploid or homozygous diploid fish can be produced. • Can be used directly in studies of gene interactions with environmental agents
Genetic Background • Established model for vertebrate developmental genetics and the production of transgenic fishes. • Can be stocked in high densities
Genetic Information • Best mapped genome of any aquatic vertebrate and its complete genome will be completed mid-2002 by the Sanger Institute in the UK.
Embryonic Development • Emerging species of choice for genetic studies • Visible embryos • Fully mapped genome • nervous system takes place very early
Life Cycle • Reaches sexual maturity in as little as 60 days • Females can lay several hundred eggs per day. • understanding normal and abnormal human development. • Similarity to mammalian embryogenesis
Other Benefits • Potential to produce altered specimens with specific traits • Provides raw system for high through-put toxicological assays
Classroom Culture Options • Physical and behavioral suitability • Adapt to and breed in a wide variety of classroom habitats • food buckets • individual aquaria • larger systems • commercial systems
Science Projects • Subject to International Standards for vertebrate organisms • Classroom projects • Classroom pets afterward
Pricing and Availability • Pet supply disadvantages • Wholesale • Research strains • Home-bred
Sources • NIH • Breeders • Pet wholesalers • Pet stores
More Information • Zfin.org • bionet.organisms.zebrafish (Zebrafish Internet Newsgroup)
More Information Pat Edwards, ZF Publications Coordinator Institute of Neuroscience 1254 University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-1254 (541) 346-5222 FAX (541) 346-4548 edwards@uoneuro.uoregon.edu