Laboratory Fish in Biomedical Research - Chapter 5: The welfare of zebrafish

Scientific procedures and daily husbandry routines can impact zebrafish in several areas, with refinements targeting improvements in anesthetic procedures and the development of least-invasive analgesic regimes as well as health monitoring and biosecurity measures consistent between different research facilities. Invasive procedures such as cardiac excision or cryoinjury should be reviewed regularly, addressing methods of reducing their aversive effect. Regrettably, research articles featuring these protocols largely failed to report details that elucidate their true cost. It would be prudent for regulators to prescribe enrichments in the light of publications describing how barren tank compartments are avoided by zebrafish. Accordingly, the generation of more empirical data to elucidate the welfare needs of zebrafish remains a priority.