Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Boldness, Aggression, and Shoaling Assays for Zebrafish Behavioral Syndromes

Boldness, Aggression, and Shoaling Assays for Zebrafish Behavioral Syndromes

Published on: August 29, 2016

Adaptive changes in zebrafish brain in dominant-subordinate behavioral context.

Michail Pavlidis¹, Maria Sundvik, Yu-Chia Chen

¹Neuroscience Center and Institute of Biomedicine/Anatomy, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. pavlidis@biology.uoc.gr

Behavioural Brain Research

|August 31, 2011

Summary

Zebrafish social stress reveals distinct neuroendocrine profiles for dominant and subordinate fish. Gene expression changes highlight key stress response pathways, validating zebrafish as a model for social behavior and allostasis.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Genome-wide association and polygenic risk score analyses of MASLD-related hepatic steatosis severity in a Taiwanese Han population.

Cell & bioscience·2026

Same author

Predicting Daily Cardiovascular Emergencies Using Weather and Air Quality Data: A 23-Year Machine-Learning Analysis in Taiwan.

GeoHealth·2026

Same author

Transcriptomic analysis suggests ferroptosis as a potential mechanism of fipronil-induced cytotoxicity in human glioblastoma cells.

Toxicology in vitro : an international journal published in association with BIBRA·2026

Same author

RoboA reinforces planarian stem cell fate through FoxA and Anosmin1a.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Consistency of the cortisol stress response in relation to risk-taking behavior and early life programming in greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili).

Fish physiology and biochemistry·2025

Same author

Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma with and Without Extrahepatic Spread: A Propensity Score Matching Study.

Journal of personalized medicine·2025

Area of Science:

Neuroendocrinology
Behavioral Ecology
Comparative Physiology

Background:

Social interactions in vertebrates often involve hierarchical structures, leading to dominant-subordinate relationships.
Understanding the neuroendocrine underpinnings of these relationships is crucial for comprehending stress responses and allostasis.
Zebrafish offer a valuable model system for studying social behavior and its physiological correlates due to their genetic tractability and social nature.

Purpose of the Study:

To characterize stress coping styles in male zebrafish within a dyadic social stress paradigm.
To investigate the neuroendocrine mechanisms, including gene expression profiles, associated with dominant-subordinate relationships.
To evaluate the utility of zebrafish as an animal model for studying social stress and allostasis.

More Related Videos

The Three-Chamber Choice Behavioral Task using Zebrafish as a Model System

The Three-Chamber Choice Behavioral Task using Zebrafish as a Model System

Published on: April 14, 2021

Behavioral Approaches to Studying Innate Stress in Zebrafish

Behavioral Approaches to Studying Innate Stress in Zebrafish

Published on: May 1, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 29, 2026

Boldness, Aggression, and Shoaling Assays for Zebrafish Behavioral Syndromes

Boldness, Aggression, and Shoaling Assays for Zebrafish Behavioral Syndromes

Published on: August 29, 2016

The Three-Chamber Choice Behavioral Task using Zebrafish as a Model System

The Three-Chamber Choice Behavioral Task using Zebrafish as a Model System

Published on: April 14, 2021

Behavioral Approaches to Studying Innate Stress in Zebrafish

Behavioral Approaches to Studying Innate Stress in Zebrafish

Published on: May 1, 2019

Main Methods:

Male zebrafish were subjected to a 5-day dyadic social stress situation to establish dominant-subordinate relationships.
Trunk cortisol levels were measured to assess physiological stress responses.
Quantitative real-time PCR was used to examine the mRNA expression of genes involved in the hypothalamus-hypophysis-interrenal axis, catecholamine and histamine biosynthesis, and general stress response.

Main Results:

A stable dominant-subordinate relationship was formed in 62.5% of the tested pairs.
Both dominant and subordinate zebrafish exhibited elevated trunk cortisol levels compared to controls.
Significant alterations in gene expression were observed, including up-regulation of TH2 and HDC in dominant fish, AVT in subordinate fish, and Hcrt in dominant fish, alongside down-regulation of COMT in both groups.

Conclusions:

Zebrafish effectively model social stress and the establishment of dominance hierarchies.
Specific neuroendocrine gene expression patterns correlate with social status and stress coping styles.
The study provides evidence for the conserved role of neuroendocrine mechanisms in vertebrate social behavior and allostasis, supporting zebrafish as a relevant research model.