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Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Use of the Open Field Maze to Measure Locomotor and Anxiety-like Behavior in Mice
Published on: February 6, 2015
The submerged plus maze as an assay for studying anxiety-like behaviour in fish
Brittany V Hope1, Trevor J Hamilton1,2, Peter L Hurd1,3
1Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, 4-120 Katz Group Centre, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada.
Abstract:
The elevated plus maze is a commonly used and well-validated test of anxiety-related behaviour in rodents. The use of fish in behavioural neuroscience paradigms is increasing, necessitating an equivalent test for studying anxiety-like behaviour in fish. Because behaviour in the elevated plus maze is driven by aversion to open space, the submerged plus maze described here uses transparent walls to elicit similar behaviour in fish. The tendency of fish to explore or avoid the sections of the maze containing transparent walls is used as proxy for anxiety level. This submerged plus maze was designed and validated for convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) fish.
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07:12Use of the Open Field Maze to Measure Locomotor and Anxiety-like Behavior in Mice
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