The zebrafish as a model for behavioral studies

Zebrafish genetics is developing at a rapid pace, and this opens up new approaches to understanding genetic control. This short review discusses recent results obtained in behavioral studies in this species, and also shows some promising ways of combining behavioral studies with modern genetic techniques. The zebrafish could provide behavioral models for understanding the neural and genetic control of species-specific behavioral patterns associated with feeding and predator avoidance. Careful experimentation may also reveal the genetic underpinning of simple cognitive processes such as habituation and memory, or lateralized control of behavior.