AquaMaze: A Computer Vision-Based Framework for Automated Behavioral Analysis of Zebrafish in Controlled Environments

Area of Science:

• Behavioral neuroscience
• Pharmacological studies
• Zebrafish model organism research

Background:

• Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are valuable model organisms in neuroscience and pharmacology.
• Current manual or semi-automated tracking systems are often expensive and labor-intensive.
• Limited budgets hinder access to advanced behavioral analysis tools for many researchers.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce AquaMaze, an open-source, desktop application for zebrafish behavioral tracking.
• Provide a cost-effective and scalable solution for real-time and post-hoc behavioral analysis.
• Facilitate high-throughput behavioral assays in research settings.

Main Methods:

• AquaMaze is a standalone application developed using PyQt5 and OpenCV.
• The software analyzes user-defined video inputs to compute locomotion metrics.
• Key metrics include swim distance, speed, quadrant occupancy, and rest/activity patterns.

Main Results:

• AquaMaze provides intuitive visualizations like heatmaps.
• Detailed CSV reports are generated for comprehensive data analysis.
• The software demonstrated reliable and consistent results across various behavioral paradigms.

Conclusions:

• AquaMaze offers a fast, cheap, and reliable tool for zebrafish behavioral experiments.
• The open-source nature promotes accessibility for researchers with limited budgets.
• This application supports scalable, high-throughput behavioral assays in neuroscience research.