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Animal Group: Aquatics

Aquatic animals such as fish, frogs, squid, sea urchins, and horseshoe crabs have all helped researchers further the understanding of body processes and the effects of drugs, diseases and toxins.

These animals are involved in a wide variety of research areas, including biochemistry, neuroscience, oncology, cell biology, toxicology, genetics, anatomy, evolution, and environmental science.

Zebrafish and African clawed frogs (Xenopus spp.) are the most common aquatic species involved in today’s biomedical research.

Did you Know?

Zebrafish are important in animal testing and have replaced some other animals that were previously needed for some tests.

70% of human genes are found in zebrafish.

Zebrafish embryos, larvae, and young fish are important in studying the safety and efficacy of drugs.

Zebrafish are fast becoming a common model for researchers to study human disease.

The zebrafish is one of the most common model organisms for genetic and developmental studies.

Zebrafish can model Alzheimer's disease, congenital heart disease, polycystic kidney disease and some cancers.

Explore Aquatics by Species

Zebrafish

Zebrafish, sharing 70% of human genetics and having externally fertilized transparent embryos, serve as invaluable models for studying gene function and genetic diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, aiding in drug development. Read More →

Frog

Xenopus frogs, pivotal in vertebrate embryology, cell biology, genomics, and disease research, aid in understanding embryonic development, environmental adaptation, and the causes of diseases and birth defects. Read More →

Animals in Research

Zebrafish embryos - 30-hours-old

Embryonic development takes place rapidly. It is also a key area of study during drug safety testing. This photo shows thirty-day-old zebrafish…

Animals in Research

Fourteen-day-old zebrafish larva

Zebrafish larvae are raised from eggs to eventually become breeding adult fish that provide embryos for research studies. The transparent bodies of…

Animals in Research

Seven-day-old zebrafish larvae

A zebrafish larva is an immature form of an adult fish. In this photo, you see a seven-day-old zebrafish larvae, around the…

Animals in Research

Zebrafish embryos - 24-hours-old

Zebrafish embryos are transparent and they also develop quickly. These particular embryos are shown twenty-four hours after fertilization. Each week, a breeding…

Animals in Research

Zebrafish Tank

Zebrafish are vertebrates that share similar developmental features with humans. They are powerful models for studying early development, given that their eggs…

Animals in Research

Zebrafish and Spinal Cord Regeneration

Researchers recently discovered a clue to how zebrafish self-heal spinal cord injuries. Damaged cells secrete a special growth factor that is required…

Animals in Research

Zebrafish and Anti-Cancer Drugs

Cancer is a complicated, devastating disease that has affected many lives. New cancer treatments are continually developed because cancer cells change and…

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