The Zebrafish Plus Maze is a tool for studying associative learning behavior in zebrafish. It tests the subjects’ ability to link visual cues with rewarding unconditioned stimuli while navigating the maze. This apparatus is akin to the non-spatial version of the Radial arm maze used for rodent studies. The plus maze is instrumental in researching the mechanisms and chemicals involved in the acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval of learned information.

Learning and memory are regulated by intricate neurobiological processes and brain structures. Researchers study drugs that can impair human learning ability to understand their pharmacological effects on animal models. The zebrafish serves as a standard model for investigating the processes and disruptions in learning behavior. The zebrafish plus maze is valuable for analyzing the synaptic and molecular mechanisms essential for forming associative learning.

The maze itself has a plus shape with five compartments and includes stimulus tanks for unconditioned stimuli. The sight of conspecific zebrafish from these tanks provides non-satiating reinforcement, enhancing the subjects’ performance. Other tools for assessing learning and memory in zebrafish include the Zebrafish Associative Learning apparatus, the Zebrafish T Maze, and the Zebrafish 3 Chamber Choice.