Feeling fishy: Trait differences in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Abstract

Personality in humans refers to the behavioral, affective, and cognitive traits that persist through time and across context. However, specific definitions and methods of quantifying personality vary depending on the specific approach that researchers emphasize. The trait approach allows clinicians to make informed diagnoses about their patients, and demonstrates predictive validity regarding health (e.g., longevity) and personal (e.g., occupational success) outcomes. The trait approach has also been applied to study personality development and personality disorders in nonhuman species. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a widely used neurobehavioral model organism that demonstrates tremendous translational potential with humans. Zebrafish exhibit several traits that remain consistent with time and across situations and, thus, have some personality traits like those of humans. Many behavioral and genetic differences have been observed between laboratory bred and wild-type zebrafish, which are largely attributable to a decrease in selection pressures in the laboratory setting. Selective breeding of zebrafish allows for the study of particular phenotypes (e.g., anxiety) to gain a deeper understanding of behavioral phenotypes, and provides a model for testing novel drug treatments. Here, we discuss the five major traits exhibited by zebrafish (boldness, exploration, activity, aggression, and sociability), and population (strain) differences in these traits. The use of zebrafish as neurobehavioral models of personality, and potential for the development of drug therapies for personality disorders is discussed.