Good practices in the rearing and maintenance of zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>) in Brazilian laboratories

Kütter, Mateus Tavares; Barcellos, Leonardo José Gil; Boyle, Robert Tew; Marins, Luis Fernando; Silveira, Tony

doi:10.1590/1809-6891v24e-74134E

Brazil

home Table of contents navigate_before previous current next navigate_next

home Table of contents

Veterinary Medicine / Review • Ciênc. anim. bras. 24 • 2023 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-6891v24e-74134E linkcopy

Good practices in the rearing and maintenance of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in Brazilian laboratories

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) is a management quality control system that encompasses the organizational process and conditions under which non-clinical health and environmental studies are carried out. According to the World Health Organization, GLP must contain five topics: resources, characterization, rules, results, and quality control. This work aims to address a review according to WHO standards of implementing Good Laboratory Practices in zebrafish (Danio rerio) vivariums. Considering that the promotion of one health (animal, human, and environmental) associated with an education plan, protocols, and records are fundamental to guarantee the safety and integrity of employees, animals, and the environment as well as reliability in the results generated. In a way, Brazil still needs improvements related to the well-being of aquatic organisms (national laws, international agreements, corporate programs, and others), especially concerning its use in research and technological development. In this way, the implementation of GLPs provides valuable guidance for improving animal welfare and worker safety, facilitating the standardization of research.

Keywords
Danio rerio ; standardization; welfare; regulatory guidelines; legislation

Graphical abstract

Good practices in the rearing and maintenance of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in Brazilian laboratories

Stoking density	Reference
*Adults*
In large-scale recirculating systems, families of sibling adult fish are kept in serial tanks at densities of 5 fish/L	¹⁴
Maintenance: 5 fish/L	¹⁵
Reproduction, a couple overnight in 1.5 L, or 6 fish in 2.3 L	¹⁵
Recirculation system with biofilter, with regular water exchange, good diet and water quality: 5 fish/L	⁵⁶
For reproduction purposes, it is better to have less fish per tank: 2-3 fish/L
Static tank: 1-2 fish/L
25 fish in 45 L tank	⁵⁷
Reproduction in static tank: 2-8 fish in 2 L tank	⁵⁸
6-7 fish/L	⁴¹
5 fish/L in 10 L tank	⁵⁹
4-10 fish/L	⁴⁷
*Juveniles*
Growing: 5 fish/L	¹⁵
*Larvae*
250 larvae 5-10 dpf/L	⁴⁷
20 larvae in 400 ml until the juvenile stage	¹⁵
*Eggs and embryos*
20 eggs/embryos in 100 ml of water	¹⁵
100 embryos in 35 ml using Petri dish of 9 cm diameter	⁴⁷

Group	Disease agent	Infection/infestation	Clinical signs	Zoonotic risk	Reference
Bacteria	Aeromonas salmonicida masoucida	Coelomic cavity	Erratic swimming; superficial swimming; tachypnea; high mortality rate	-	⁷⁶;¹⁰⁷;¹⁷⁵
	Aeromonas hydrophila	Coelomic cavity	Distension and hemorrhages in the coelomic cavity	+	⁷⁶;⁹²;¹³⁴;¹⁵¹
	Aeromonas sobria	Coelomic cavity; skin ulcers	Petechial hemorrhages in the skin; muscle and fins; distension of coelomic cavity	+	⁷⁶;¹³³;¹⁵²
	Aeromonas veronii	Multiple organs	Hemorrhages and severe injuries on the surface of the body; distension of the coelomic cavity	+	⁹²;¹³⁴
	Staphilococcus aureus	Multiple organs	Distension of the coelomic cavity; perianal edema; growth of the initial lesion that served as a gateway for infection; superficial swimming; tachypnea; high mortality rates	+	¹⁰⁷
	Plesiomonas shigelloides	Coelomic cavity	Erratic swimming; lesions on the body surface; exophthalmy	+	⁷⁶;⁹²
	Pseudomonas spp.	Multiple organs	Septicemia with distension of the coelomic cavity; skin ulcers; dyspnoea; mortality	+	⁹²;¹⁵³
	Pseudomonas fluorescens	Skin ulcers	Septicemia with distension of the coelomic cavity; skin ulcers; dyspnoea; death	+ (rare)	⁷⁶;¹⁵³;¹⁵⁴
	Shewanella putrefaciens	Coelomic cavity; skin ulcers	Skin ulcers	+	⁷⁶
	Vibrio alginolyticus	Skin	Skin ulcers	+	⁷⁶
	Vibrio metschnikovii	Coelomic cavity; skin	Skin ulcers	+	⁷⁶
	Vibrio parahaemolyticus	Coelomic cavity; swim bladder	Spinal curvature; internal hemorrhages with distension of the coelomic cavity	+	⁷⁶;¹⁴⁵
	Vibrio cholerae	Intestine	Pale feces; diarrhea; lethargy; weight loss; aquarium water becomes cloudy over the course of the infection as a result of mucus increase in the feces	+	¹⁰⁹;¹¹⁰
	Vibrio vulnificus	Coelomic cavity	Distension of coelomic cavity with hemorrhage septicemia	+	⁷⁶;¹⁷⁶
	Edwardsiella ictaluri	Multiple organs; skin	Hemorrhages on body surface near eyes, operculum, fin base and ventral surface; skin ulcers	-	¹⁰⁴;¹⁵³
	Edwardsiella tarda	Multiple organs	Mortality of embryos and larvae up to 8 dpf; embryos and larvae show whitish color and lethargy; high mortality rates in adults; petechial hemorrhages; discoloration of the initial injury that served as a gateway for infection; lethargy; superficial swimming; distention of the coelomic cavity; perianal edema	+	¹⁰⁶
	Flavobacterium columnare	Skin; gills	Loss of pigmentation and scale near dorsal fin (saddleback lesion); high mortality	-	¹⁵⁵
	Mycobacterium abscessus	Multiple organs	Subclinical signs; low mortality; illness/death when in a stressful environment with poor water quality	+	⁸⁶;⁹²;¹⁰³;¹⁵⁶
	Mycobacterium chelonae	Multiple organs	Subclinical signs; low mortality; illness/death when in a stressful environment with poor water quality	+	⁹²;¹⁰³;¹⁰⁴;¹⁵⁶;¹⁵⁷;¹⁵⁸
	Mycobacterium fortuitum	Multiple organs	Subclinical signs; low mortality; illness/death when in a stressful environment with poor water quality	+	⁸⁶;⁹²;¹⁰³;¹⁵⁶;¹⁵⁸
	Mycobacterium peregrinum	Multiple organs	Subclinical signs; low mortality; illness/death when in a stressful environment with poor water quality	-	⁸⁶;¹⁰³;¹⁵⁸
	Mycobacterium haemophilum	Multiple organs	Lethargy; severe wasting; outbreaks with high mortality; muscular and skeletal deformities	+	⁸⁶;⁹²;¹⁰³;¹⁰⁴;¹⁵⁷
	Mycobacterium marinum	Multiple organs	Distension of the coelomic cavity; outbreaks with high mortality; muscle and skeletal deformities	+	⁸⁶;⁹²;¹⁰³;¹⁰⁴
	Mycobacterium saopaulense	Multiple organs	Signs not reported in the bibliography	+	⁸⁶;¹⁵⁶
Ciliate	Coleps sp.	Whole body of embryos and larvae	Embryos and larvae up to ~7 dpf are preyed; low hatching rates and high mortality rates in larviculture	-	¹⁵⁹;¹⁶⁰
	Ichthyophthirius multifiliis	Body surface; gills	Whitish nodules on the surface of the skin and gills; increased mucus production; dyspnoea; loss of balance; anorexia; lethargy; death	-	¹⁶¹;¹⁶²;¹⁶³
	Tetrahymena sp.	Whole body of larvae	~30 days old larvae are preyed on by the ciliate; mass mortality of larvae	-	¹⁶⁴
	Trichodina spp.	Body surface; gills	Dermatitis and dyspnoea with gill inflammation; usually outbreaks related to increased water temperature	-	⁸⁶;¹⁶¹
Dinoflagellate	Piscinoodinium pillulare	Body surface; gills	Skin with a "velvety" appearance; skin discomfort/itching, represented by animals rubbing against objects or the walls of the aquarium; excess skin mucus; lethargy; dyspnoea; superficial swimming; skin darkening; petechial hemorrhages; outbreaks with high lethality	-	⁸⁸
Oomycete	Saprolegnia brachydanis	Body surface; gills	Growth of thin white filamentous hyphae that accumulate on the surface of the body and on the gills forming a cotton-like mass	-	⁸⁶;¹⁰³
Oomycete	Saprolegnia ferax	Body surface; gills	Idem S. brachydanis	-	⁸⁶;¹⁰³
Myxozoa	Myxidium streisingeri	Mesonephric ducts; kidney lumen	Subclinical condition	-	⁸⁸;¹⁰⁴;¹⁶⁵
Microsporidia	Pleistophora hyphessobryconis	Primarily in skeletal muscle but also in kidney; spleen; intestine; and ovary	Muscle necrosis and deformation, emaciation, lethargy; predominant subclinical conditions	-	⁸⁶;⁸⁸;¹⁰³
Microsporidia	Pseudoloma neurophilia	Generally nerves; spinal cord; and hindbrain, but also in skeletal muscle; esophagus; kidney; and ovary	Emaciation; lordosis; scoliosis; muscle necrosis; reduced growth; reproductive deficit; predominant subclinical conditions; wasting unrelated to anorexia; stress-related illness	-	⁸⁶;⁹²;¹⁰³;¹⁰⁴;¹⁵⁸;¹⁶⁶;¹⁶⁷
Monogenea	Gyrodactylus spp.	Body surface; gills	Dermatitis and dyspnoea with gill inflammation; usually outbreaks related to increased water temperature	-	¹⁶¹
Digenea	Clinostomum sp.	Muscles	Twisted swimming; lateral curvature of the spine; yellowish lumps under the skin	+	⁸⁹
	Transversotrema patialense	Skin	Subclinical condition; local lesions at the parasite's adhesion points were found only in experimental infections	-	⁸⁸
	Centrocestus formosanus	Gills	Respiratory abnormalities; subclinical condition	+	¹²⁵;¹⁶⁸;¹⁶⁹;¹⁷⁰
Nematode	Pseudocapillaria tomentosa	Intestine	Emaciation; lumps in the belly	-	⁹²;¹⁰⁴;¹⁵⁸;¹⁷¹;¹⁷²
Virus	Red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV)	Central nervous system	Erratic swimming; light opaque spot with a creamy appearance on the back of the head; high lethality of adults	-	¹⁰⁴;¹⁷³
Virus	Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV)	Spleen and kidney	Lethargy; loss of appetite; abnormal swimming; distention of the coelomic cavity; tachypnea; pale gills; petechial hemorrhages at the base of the fins; death	-	¹⁰⁴;¹⁷⁴

vertical_align_top file_download show_chart

more_horiz close
- image
- translate
- link
- article
- vertical_align_top
- file_download
- show_chart
- image
- translate
- link
- article

location_on

Universidade Federal de Goiás Universidade Federal de Goiás, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Campus II, Caixa Postal 131, CEP: 74001-970, Tel.: (55 62) 3521-1568, Fax: (55 62) 3521-1566 - Goiânia - GO - Brazil
E-mail: revistacab@gmail.com

rss_feed Stay informed of issues for this journal through your RSS reader

Accessibility / Report Error