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Updated: Aug 20, 2026
Using the optokinetic response to study visual function of zebrafish
Published on: February 2, 2010
Contrast sensitivity, spatial and temporal tuning of the larval zebrafish optokinetic response
Oliver Rinner1, Jens M Rick, Stephan C F Neuhauss
1Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Department of Biology, and Brain Research Institute of the University Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Purpose:
To characterize the quantitative properties of the optokinetic response (OKR) in zebrafish larvae as a tool to test visual performance in genetically modified larvae.
Methods:
Horizontal OKR was triggered in 5-day-old zebrafish larvae by stimulation with projected computer-generated gratings of varying contrast, angular velocity, temporal and spatial frequency, and brightness. Eye movements were analyzed by a custom-made eye tracker based on image analysis.
Results:
The gain of the OKR slow phase was dependent on angular velocity, spatial frequency, and contrast of a moving grating, but largely independent on brightness. Eye velocity was a logarithmically linear function of grating contrast with a slope of approximately 0.8 per log unit contrast.
Conclusions:
The OKR of the larval zebrafish is not scaled for stimulus contrast and spatial frequency. These properties make the OKR a valuable tool to quantify behavioral visual performance such as visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and light adaptation. This behavioral paradigm will be useful for analyzing visual performance in mutant and gene-knockdown larval zebrafish.
