Description
Features |
Tank size: 40cm x 25 cm x 20cm |
5 chamber divisions - transparent |
Starting area: 5cm x 5cm black box with guillotine door |

Introduction
Individuals exhibit varying exploration and shoaling behaviors influenced by their unique behavioral profiles and personality traits. The sociability chamber serves as a valuable tool for investigating how similar species respond differently under comparable conditions based on their personality types. These conditions encompass responses to specific drugs, challenging environments, drug addiction, or the onset of disorders.
Comprising five chambers, the zebrafish sociability tank is structured to facilitate comprehensive observation. The initial chamber serves as the “starting box” for the subject, while the fifth chamber houses the shoal tank containing social stimuli. Exploration behaviors are predominantly observed in the first, second, and third chambers, whereas socialization behaviors are focal in the fourth and fifth chambers. Other equipment utilizing the zebrafish model includes the Zebrafish Environmental Enrichment Chamber, the Zebrafish 5 Choice, and the Zebrafish Y-maze.
Apparatus and Equipment
The experiment utilizes tanks measuring 90 x 45 x 30 cm for housing the subjects. Environmental enrichment is achieved by incorporating various elements, including fine-grain gravel, upturned black plastic pots (10 cm in diameter) for shelter, plastic plants ranging from 12 to 30 cm in height, and novel objects such as differently colored plastic plants and grey PVC pipes (3 cm in diameter).
To assess flexibility, two types of partitions are employed: one with a 5 cm wide exit hole and another with tube access leading to the exit hole.
The sociability chamber comprises a rectangular, transparent acrylic tank divided into five sections by clear acrylic walls, with dimensions of 40 cm x 25 cm x 20 cm. The initial chamber features a 5 cm x 5 cm black box equipped with a guillotine door to regulate fish movement in and out. In the fifth chamber, a shoal tank is positioned to accommodate social stimuli.
Training Protocol
Clean the apparatus thoroughly before starting the experiment. An external tracking and recording systems such asĀ Noldus Ethovision XTĀ can be used with the zebra sociability chamber for recording the fish activity.
Data Analysis
Following parameters are observed when using sociability chamber
- Average swimming speed
- Maximum swimming speed
- Distance traveled
- Time spent immobile
- Time spent exploring the tank
- Time spent with the social stimuli
Strengths and Limitations
Summary
- The 5-chamber sociability tank is used to analyze the exploration and socialization behavior in zebrafish.
- The behavioral profiles of individuals govern their response towards specific stimuli such as drug exposure.
- The apparatus can be used to study fish response towards a novel environment, effects of drug treatment and effects of diseases/disorders on sociability and explorative behaviors.
- The selection of social stimuli used for assessing the socialization behavior in zebrafish is of utmost importance.
- The results obtained from zebrafish sociability chamber are reliable and provide ground for further research on human drug usages such as drug toxicity or drug overuse.
References
Araujo-Silva, H., Pinheiro-da-Silva, J., Silva, P. F., & Luchiari, A. C. (2018).Ā Individual differences in response to alcohol exposure in zebrafish (Danio rerio).Ā PLOS ONE, 13(6), 1-12. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0198856