What is Zebrafish?

About Zebrafish:

• It is a small (2-3 cm long) freshwater fishfound in tropical and subtropical regions.
• The vertebrate takes its name from the horizontal blue stripes running the length of its body. 
• It is native to South Asia's Indo-Gangetic plains, where they are mostly found in the paddy fields and even in stagnant water and streams.
• IUCN Red List Status: Least concerned.
• Why do researchers investigate zebrafish?
  • It attracts developmental biologists due to its adequate regeneration capacityof almost all its organs, including the brain, heart, eye, and spinal cord.
  • It possesses several advantages over rodent models in the study of vertebrate development and disease.
  • These include hundreds of embryos in a single clutch and optical clarity of the developing embryo (have transparent larvae and embryos), which allows live imaging at the organism level.
  • They are easily bred in large numbers with a relatively low maintenance cost. 
  • Approximately 70 percent of zebrafish genes are also present in a similar form in humans.
  • Over 80 percent of genes that are known to trigger disease in humans are also present in this fish.