A sexual aggregating pheromone system in the zebrafish, Brachydanio rerio (Hamilton-Buchanan)

Zebrafish, Brachydanio rerio, when placed in a T-maze demonstrated preference for, or avoidance of, donor water produced when specified numbers of conspecifics of either sex were kept in holding systems for specific lengths of time. Inter- and intrasexual attractions were found to occur in different ranges of concentration of the attractant material(s). Insufficient or excessive concentrations of the attractant(s) failed to elicit the attractant response. The proposed pheromone attractant was shown to be removable from the aquatic environment. Its possible role in the behavioral aspects of schooling and spawning is discussed.