The brain of the zebrafish Danio rerio: an overview

Abstract

The following account outlines the major CNS divisions in the zebrafish and the organization of these divisions into nuclei or laminae, including a description of major tracts and commissures. CNS divisions will be dealt with according to the classical anatomical sequence: telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon, metencephalon (including cerebellum), myelencephalon, and medulla spinalis. Since many tracts and commissures caudal to the diencephalon extend into several brain parts and even into the spinal cord, they are treated in a final separate section. When appropriate, discrepancies between the neuromeric model of Puelles and Rubenstein (1993) outlined above (see: Introduction) and classical brain divisions will be discussed.