Fish discussion:

Zebrafish is a common ornamental fish, which belongs to small freshwater fishes, chordates, Actinidia, Cyprinidae and Yudan in the animal kingdom. It is named after many dark blue longitudinal stripes, commonly known as blue striped fish, striped fish and blue zebra fish. It has high ornamental and scientific research value.

Morphological characteristics:

Zebrafish is a small fish, with a common individual of 4~6 cm, rhombic body length, small and slightly sharp head, short snout, flat tail, deep forked tail fin and transparent yellow fin. The female fish has a broad body, an enlarged abdomen and yellowish anal fins. The male fish is narrow, yellow and olive on the back, and several dark blue stripes reach the caudal fin from the back to the tail.

Distribution range:

Zebrafish is a tropical fish, lively and not afraid of cold. Native to South Asia, it is widely distributed in streams in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Myanmar and Nepal. Now it has been widely introduced to the United States, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Mauritius and other places. After being introduced to China, it is often used as ornamental fish or scientific research fish and raised all over the country.

Breeding mode:

Zebrafish is an oviparous fish, which is sexually mature at the age of 4 months. Generally, it is better to breed with 5-month-old fish. Aquaculture water requires pH 6.5-7.5, hardness 6-8 and water temperature 25-26℃. Like to lay eggs at the bottom of the aquarium, zebrafish like to eat their own eggs. When the culture water temperature is 24℃, the fertilized eggs hatch into larvae in 2-3 days; When the water temperature is 28℃, the fertilized eggs hatch into larvae after 36 hours. Female fish lay more than 300 eggs at a time, as many as thousands. When the water temperature is 25℃, the larvae of 7-8 days old begin to eat, then feed them with egg yolk gray water, and then feed them later.

In vitro fertilization of zebrafish eggs and rapid development of embryos. Embryos enter the human node in 10-24 hours, develop and shape within 24 hours, and reach sexual maturity about 3 months after hatching. After sexual maturity, the female can lay hundreds of eggs, and the reproductive cycle is about 7 days. Under natural conditions, they can breed 6-8 times a year, with high egg production. The eggs laid by zebrafish can mature within 24 hours, and the larval stage is only 1 month. The development of zebrafish can be divided into six stages: cleavage stage, blastocyst stage, gastrula stage, division stage, formation stage and incubation stage.

Protection level:

Listed in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species VER 3. 1:2009- No Danger (LC).

Living habits:

Zebrafish is gentle, likes to swim in groups, has strong adaptability, is easy to raise, and can also be mixed with other kinds of ornamental fish. The optimum living water temperature is 20~23℃, and it is omnivorous. In the natural environment, it mainly feeds on algae, plankton, aquatic insects larvae and higher plant debris. Artificial feeding can be combined with various animal bait or dry feed.

Male and female identification:

1, male fish: Male zebrafish is slender, slightly dark in color, with obvious stripes, and lemon stripes between dark blue stripes.

2. Female fish: Female zebrafish is obese, slightly lighter in color, with silver-gray stripes between blue stripes, and abdominal hypertrophy after sexual maturity.