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120 cm Morris Water Maze
120 cm pool diameter, opaque water, adjustable hidden platform
Standard rat configuration for spatial acquisition, probe, reversal, and visible platform control trials.
$1,490
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Morris Water Maze
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Gold standard circular water maze for assessing spatial learning and memory in rodents through hippocampal-dependent navigation tasks.
Key Specifications
| Automation Level | semi-automated |
| Species | Mouse, Rat |
| Dimensions | 1.3 m diameter x 1.3 m diameter x 0.6 m |
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Louise Corscadden
PhD, Neuroscience
The Morris Water Maze is the gold standard behavioral apparatus for assessing spatial learning and memory in rodents. Originally developed by Richard Morris in 1984, this paradigm exploits the natural aversion of rodents to water and their innate swimming ability to evaluate hippocampal-dependent spatial navigation. The test involves placing animals in a circular pool filled with opaque water containing a hidden platform that provides escape from the water.
This apparatus features a 1.3-meter diameter circular pool with 0.6-meter walls, accommodating both mice and rats. The water level is maintained at 0.4 meters above the base, with the invisible platform positioned 1 cm below the surface at 0.39 meters height. The platform's silvery-white color ensures it remains concealed beneath the opaque water, while a visible black platform at 0.4 meters height serves for control trials and initial training phases.
How It Works
The Morris Water Maze operates on the principle that rodents possess an innate aversion to water and will actively seek an escape platform. During acquisition trials, animals are placed at various starting positions around the pool perimeter and must navigate to locate the hidden platform using distal visual cues positioned around the testing room. The opaque water prevents animals from seeing the platform directly, forcing reliance on spatial memory and cognitive mapping rather than local visual or olfactory cues.
The hippocampus constructs a cognitive map of the spatial environment through integration of visual landmarks, allowing animals to develop allocentric spatial representations. Performance is measured through latency to platform, path length, swimming speed, and search strategies. Probe trials, conducted with the platform removed, assess memory consolidation by measuring time spent in the target quadrant where the platform was previously located.
Multiple task variants can be implemented using the same apparatus, including reference memory tasks (fixed platform location), working memory protocols (changing platform positions), and reversal learning paradigms. The silvery-white invisible platform and black visible platform allow researchers to alternate between spatial memory testing and control conditions within the same experimental session.
Features & Benefits
1.3-meter diameter circular pool
Provides optimal spatial dimensions for both mouse and rat testing with sufficient swimming area and platform search space.
Dual platform system (visible/invisible)
Enables alternating between spatial memory trials and sensorimotor control conditions within the same experimental protocol.
0.6-meter wall height
Prevents escape while providing adequate vertical space for video tracking and maintaining animal motivation to locate the platform.
Adjustable platform height system
Allows precise positioning of platforms at 0.39m (hidden) and 0.4m (visible) heights for standardized testing protocols.
Compatible maze configurations
Supports multiple paradigms including Water T-Maze, Water RAM, Water Y-Maze, and Water Plus Maze for diverse experimental designs.
Customization availability
Accommodates specific experimental requirements through custom modifications to pool dimensions, platform configurations, or accessories.
Opaque water system
Eliminates visual platform cues and forces reliance on spatial memory rather than direct visual guidance during navigation.
Species-appropriate sizing
Optimized dimensions accommodate both mouse and rat testing with appropriate scaling for natural swimming behavior and spatial cognition assessment.
water_height
- 0.4 m above base
visible_platform_height
- 0.4 m
invisible_platform_height
- 0.39 m
visible_platform_color
- black
invisible_platform_color
- silvery-white
water_opacity
- opaque (powder, paint, or milk added)
included_components
- hidden platform
customizations_available
- upon request
compatible_maze_configurations
- ['Water T-Maze', 'Water RAM', 'Water Y-Maze', 'Water Plus Maze']
Size
- Rat
- Intermediate
- Mouse
Color
- Black
- Blue
- White
Behavioral Construct
- spatial learning
- spatial memory
- reference memory
- working memory
- cognitive mapping
- spatial navigation
- place learning
- hippocampal function
Automation Level
- semi-automated
Species
- Mouse
- Rat
Dimensions
- 1.3 m diameter x 1.3 m diameter x 0.6 m
Research Domain
- Addiction Research
- Aging Research
- Behavioral Pharmacology
- Learning and Memory
- Neurodegeneration
- Neuroscience
Weight
- 30.0 kg
Dimensions
- L: 200.0 mm
- W: 200.0 mm
- H: 100.0 mm
Comparison Guide
| Feature | This Product | Typical Alternative | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pool Diameter | 1.3 meters | Entry-level models often range from 1.0-1.2 meters | Larger diameter provides more spatial area for complex navigation strategies and reduces wall-hugging behavior. |
| Platform System | Dual platforms (visible black, invisible silvery-white) | Basic models may include only one platform type | Enables within-session comparison of spatial versus sensorimotor performance without apparatus changes. |
| Wall Height | 0.6 meters | Standard models typically offer 0.4-0.5 meter walls | Higher walls prevent escape attempts while providing better overhead tracking visibility. |
| Species Compatibility | Optimized for both mouse and rat testing | Many models are species-specific | Single apparatus accommodates diverse research programs without requiring separate equipment purchases. |
| Configuration Flexibility | Compatible with T-Maze, RAM, Y-Maze, Plus Maze variants | Standard models are limited to basic circular configuration | Multiple paradigms possible with same base apparatus, expanding experimental capabilities. |
| Customization Options | Available upon request | Fixed configurations with limited modification options | Accommodates specific research requirements and novel experimental protocols. |
This Morris Water Maze provides comprehensive spatial learning assessment capabilities through its dual platform system, species-flexible design, and configuration versatility. The 1.3-meter diameter and 0.6-meter walls offer optimal dimensions for robust behavioral phenotyping across multiple experimental paradigms.
Neuroscience
Evaluating hippocampal-dependent spatial memory formation and consolidation in transgenic mouse models of neurological disorders.
Behavioral Pharmacology
Assessing cognitive effects of novel compounds and determining drug impact on spatial learning acquisition and retention.
Aging Research
Measuring age-related decline in spatial navigation abilities and memory performance in rodent models of cognitive aging.
Learning and Memory
Investigating the neural mechanisms underlying place learning, reference memory, and working memory through various task configurations.
Neurodegeneration
Characterizing cognitive impairments in animal models of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Addiction Research
Examining cognitive dysfunction and spatial memory deficits associated with chronic substance exposure in rodent models.
Practical Tips
Calibration
Verify platform height daily using a ruler to ensure the invisible platform remains exactly 1 cm below water surface.
Why: Platform depth consistency is critical for standardized escape latencies and motivation levels.
Maintenance
Clean pool walls weekly with mild detergent to remove biofilm buildup that could provide tactile navigation cues.
Why: Wall cleanliness maintains reliance on distal visual cues rather than proximal tactile information.
Best Practices
Randomize starting positions across trials while maintaining equal representation of all quadrant entry points.
Why: Balanced start positions prevent development of response strategies that bypass spatial memory formation.
Data Quality
Record ambient room temperature and lighting conditions with each session to identify environmental variables affecting performance.
Why: Environmental consistency ensures that performance changes reflect experimental manipulations rather than testing conditions.
Troubleshooting
If animals show excessive floating behavior, reduce trial duration and increase inter-trial intervals to maintain motivation.
Why: Floating indicates learned helplessness that compromises spatial learning assessment.
Safety
Monitor animals continuously during trials and have towels readily available for immediate drying after platform location.
Why: Rapid drying prevents hypothermia and reduces stress that could influence subsequent trial performance.
Best Practices
Conduct probe trials at consistent time intervals after acquisition to standardize memory consolidation assessment.
Why: Timing consistency enables comparison of memory strength across different experimental groups.
Maintenance
Replace water opacity agents when platform becomes visible from any angle to maintain spatial memory requirements.
Why: Platform visibility compromises the cognitive demands of the task and invalidates spatial memory assessment.
Setup Guide
Pool Assembly
Assemble the 1.3-meter diameter circular pool and position on a stable, level surface with adequate clearance for video tracking equipment.
Water Filling
Fill pool with water to 0.4 meters above base, maintaining temperature at 25±2°C throughout testing sessions.
Water Opacity
Add non-toxic white powder, paint, or milk to create opaque water that completely conceals the submerged platform from animal view.
Platform Positioning
Position the invisible platform 1 cm below water surface at 0.39 meters height in the designated target quadrant.
Visual Cues
Install distinct visual landmarks at fixed positions around the testing room to provide spatial reference points for navigation.
Tracking Setup
Configure video tracking system with overhead camera positioned to capture the entire pool area for automated path analysis.
Temperature Control
Monitor and maintain consistent water temperature throughout testing sessions to minimize thermal stress effects on performance.
Platform Validation
Verify platform stability and confirm invisible platform remains 1 cm below water surface before each testing session.
What’s in the Box
- 1.3-meter diameter circular pool
- Hidden platform (silvery-white)
- Visible platform (black)
- Assembly hardware
- User manual with standard protocols
- Platform positioning guide (typical)
Warranty
ConductScience provides a one-year manufacturer warranty covering materials and workmanship defects, with technical support for setup and protocol optimization.
Compliance
ARRIVE GuidelinesSupports standardized reporting of spatial learning experiments through consistent apparatus specifications and protocol parameters.
NIH Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory AnimalsCommonly used in behavioral testing protocols that must adhere to institutional animal care and use committee oversight.
OECD Test GuidelinesSupports neurotoxicology studies and cognitive function assessment protocols in regulatory toxicology testing frameworks.
References
Background reading relevant to this product:
1.Richard Morris (1984) “Developments of a water-maze procedure for studying spatial learning in the rat” Journal of Neuroscience Methods doi:10.1016/0165-0270(84)90007-4
2.Charles V. Vorhees et al. (2006) “Morris water maze: procedures for assessing spatial and related forms of learning and memory” Nature Protocols doi:10.1038/nprot.2006.116
3.Rudi D'Hooge et al. (2001) “Applications of the Morris water maze in the study of learning and memory” Brain Research Reviews doi:10.1016/s0165-0173(01)00067-4
4.Kelley Bromley‐Brits et al. (2011) “Morris Water Maze Test for Learning and Memory Deficits in Alzheimer's Disease Model Mice” Journal of Visualized Experiments doi:10.3791/2920
5.Muhammad Zulfadhli Othman et al. (2022) “Morris water maze: a versatile and pertinent tool for assessing spatial learning and memory” EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS doi:10.1538/expanim.21-0120
Q
What is the Morris Water Maze?
A
The Morris Water Maze is a behavioral apparatus used to assess spatial learning and memory in rodents. Animals navigate a circular pool of opaque water to locate a hidden submerged platform, relying on external visual cues for orientation.
Q
How does the Morris Water Maze work?
A
Rodents are placed in a water-filled circular pool where they must swim to find a hidden platform below the surface. Over repeated trials, researchers measure escape latency, path length, and swim patterns to quantify spatial memory acquisition and recall.
Q
What research applications use the Morris Water Maze?
A
The Morris Water Maze is widely used in Alzheimer's disease research, drug screening for cognitive enhancers, and studies of hippocampal-dependent spatial memory. It is also applied in neurotoxicology and traumatic brain injury models.
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Upgrade Options
Use this apparatus with
The complete Morris Water Maze workflow
Track swim path
Automate path length, quadrant occupancy, platform crossings, and probe trial heatmaps from overhead video.
ConductVision MWM →Run protocol
Acquisition, visible platform, probe, reversal, and working-memory schedules with metric definitions.
ConductMaze MWM Protocol →Analyze probe trial
Free tool for escape latency, path efficiency, target quadrant preference, and probe trial summaries.
MWM Analyzer →Choose your configuration
Validated Morris Water Maze configurations
Pick the apparatus configuration that matches the cohort, species, and protocol. Species-specific adaptations should be interpreted within their own validation literature.
BuyableMouse standard
90 cm Mouse Water Maze
90 cm pool diameter, low-volume water handling, scaled platform
Mouse-sized arena for transgenic and pharmacological spatial-learning studies.
$1,490
SpecialtyHigh-throughput
150 cm Large-Cohort MWM
150 cm pool diameter, larger field of view, modular platform positions
Larger arena for adult rats, strategy analysis, and protocols requiring wider cue separation.
$1,990
§ 1
Introduction
The Morris Water Maze is a hippocampal-dependent spatial learning task in which rodents learn the location of a hidden escape platform using distal room cues. Morris introduced the task as a way to separate place learning from simple cue approach behavior, and it became the reference assay for spatial memory because the platform can be removed during a probe trial to test memory without reinforcement. 1
The paradigm is widely used in Alzheimer disease, traumatic brain injury, stroke, aging, and pharmacology because acquisition curves, search strategy, and probe-trial bias can be measured in the same apparatus. 1 The visible-platform control is essential because motor impairment, visual impairment, thermoregulation, and stress reactivity can all masquerade as memory deficits. 2
A strong MWM page must therefore treat the apparatus as both a commercial product and a methods reference: buyers need pool size, platform, cue, and tracking options, while researchers need enough protocol detail to avoid swim-stress and motor-confound errors. 1
§ 2
Methods
2.1 Procedure
Hidden-platform acquisition followed by probe and visible-platform control trials.
Pre-test setup
- 1.Room cues — Place stable distal cues around the pool before habituation. Do not move cues between acquisition and probe sessions.
- 2.Water preparation — Fill the pool with opaque water at the protocol temperature used for all groups, typically 20 to 26 C depending on strain and ethics protocol.
- 3.Platform calibration — Set hidden platform 0.5 to 1 cm below the water surface. Confirm the platform cannot be seen from the release points.
- 4.Tracking calibration — Calibrate the overhead camera to the pool edge and define quadrant, annulus, wall, and platform zones before the first subject.
Trial sequence
- 1.Release subject — Release from pseudo-randomized compass positions facing the pool wall.
- 2.Acquire trial — Allow up to 60 seconds to find the hidden platform. If the animal fails, guide it to the platform and score maximum latency.1
- 3.Platform dwell — Leave the subject on the platform for 10 to 20 seconds to encode the location.
- 4.Inter-trial interval — Dry the animal, maintain temperature, and keep inter-trial intervals consistent within cohort.
- 5.Probe trial — Remove the platform and record a 60-second search trial after acquisition reaches criterion.
Critical methodological constraints
- Motor and vision controls. Always include a visible-platform trial or control phase when genotype, injury, age, or treatment could affect swim speed or vision.3
- Stress and hypothermia. Water temperature, trial spacing, and drying procedure must be fixed. A cognitive deficit claim is weak if body temperature or floating behavior differs by group.
- Cue stability. Moving room cues between days converts the task into an uncontrolled reversal problem.
- Strategy matters. Latency alone can improve through non-spatial chaining or thigmotaxis reduction. Report path efficiency and search strategy alongside latency.
2.2 Measurement & Analysis
Core MWM metrics ConductVision scores from swim trajectories.
Escape Latency
Acquisition curve
Time to reach the hidden platform. Interpretable only with swim speed and visible-platform controls.1
Path Length
Motor-normalized learning
Distance swum before platform discovery. Less sensitive than latency to swim-speed differences.
Target Quadrant Time
Probe memory
Percent of probe trial spent in the former platform quadrant after the platform is removed.2
Platform Crossings
Spatial precision
Number of crossings through the exact former platform location during the probe trial.
Thigmotaxis
Search strategy control
Time near the wall. Persistent wall-hugging can obscure spatial learning and should be reported.
+ Additional metrics: swim speed, heading error, cumulative search error, annulus crossings, quadrant entropy, floating time, and path efficiency.
2.3 target quadrant preference (analysis)
A simple probe-trial index: target quadrant time divided by total quadrant time.
§ 3
Results
Aggregate publication data, sample apparatus output, and recent findings from the live PubMed feed.
3.1 Publication trends
PubMed volume and co-occurring behavioral methods for spatial-learning studies.
3.2 Sample apparatus output
Representative acquisition and probe output from a hidden-platform study.
3.3 Recent findings (live PubMed feed)
- May 2026PMID: 41865827
Therapeutic efficacy of engineered exosomes in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical animal models.
Li A, Peng W, Wu B, et al.. Neuroscience. 2026 May 25.
Engineered exosomes are modified extracellular vesicles designed to enhance targeting and cargo delivery, and they have been proposed as a therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease.
- May 2026PMID: 41933605
Increased NMDA receptor GluN2A-type ionotropic signaling is sufficient to improve spatial memory in immature mice.
Boakye-Agyei AS, Rodrigues-Henry DDM, Gonzalez DA, et al.. Neurosci Lett. 2026 May 15.
Spatial learning and memory are reliant on activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) at excitatory synapses in the hippocampus. NMDARs at immature synapses contain mostly GluN2B subunits while at mature synapses, more NMDARs contain GluN2A subunits.
- May 2026PMID: 41865457
Tetrahydrocoptisine alleviates postoperative delirium with sleep disturbances by modulating the TH/NLRP3 Inflammasome pathway.
Liu X, Yang C, Wang X, et al.. Int Immunopharmacol. 2026 May 15.
Postoperative delirium (POD) accompanied by sleep disturbances (SD) represents a significant concern in perioperative neurocognitive health.
- May 2026PMID: 41687942
Polygonatum Sibiricum polysaccharide ameliorates Alzheimer's disease by alleviating cuproptosis and activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
Wang S, Guo Y, Wang S, et al.. J Ethnopharmacol. 2026 May 10.
Defined by the selective loss of central nervous system neurons, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder is what Alzheimer's disease (AD) constitutes. It is recognized as the leading cause of dementia globally.
§ 4
Discussion
Limitations of the paradigm, methodological caveats, and current directions.
4.1 Common confounds
Variables that shift Morris Water Maze results independent of anxiety state.
Swim speed
Latency increases when animals swim slowly. Report path length and swim speed before calling a latency change a memory deficit.3
Floating behavior
Floating and passive coping reduce apparent search. Track immobility separately from spatial navigation.
Visual acuity
Visual impairment can impair cue-based navigation. Visible-platform performance is the practical control.
Temperature
Cold water changes motivation and physiology. Keep temperature constant and monitor vulnerable strains or aged animals.
Non-spatial strategies
Chaining, circling, and wall-hugging can reduce latency without true place learning. Strategy labels help separate these cases.
4.2 Construct validity caveats
MWM is powerful because it couples acquisition with a probe trial, but it is also stressful and motor-loaded. 1 Studies involving injury, aging, frailty, or motor phenotypes should report visible-platform controls, swim speed, and path-based endpoints before interpreting latency as cognition. 2
4.3 Special considerations
When should I use Barnes Maze instead?
Use Barnes Maze when swimming stress, hypothermia, motor impairment, or repeated longitudinal testing would confound MWM interpretation. 1
Is escape latency enough?
No. Latency should be paired with path length, swim speed, thigmotaxis, and probe-trial measures because latency can improve through non-spatial strategies.
How many acquisition days are typical?
Many protocols use 4 to 6 acquisition days with several trials per day, then a probe trial after criterion or the final acquisition day. Match schedule to strain, age, and manipulation.
4.4 Current directions
Quarterly editorial review of emerging Morris Water Maze methodology. Q2 2026
Methodological
Path strategy classification
Automated strategy labels are increasingly reported with latency to distinguish spatial search from chaining and thigmotaxis.
Rising
Longitudinal disease models
AD, TBI, and stroke studies increasingly combine MWM with dry-land spatial tasks to separate memory from motor and stress effects.
Methodological
Visible-platform normalization
Reviewers expect visible-platform controls when treatments plausibly affect motor function, vision, or motivation.
Rising
Pose and thermal monitoring
Thermal management and posture-aware scoring are becoming standard for aged and injured cohorts.
§ 5
References
6 curated Morris Water Maze methods and validation papers. Schema-marked as ScholarlyArticle ItemList.
- Morris R. Developments of a water-maze procedure for studying spatial learning in the rat. J Neurosci Methods. 1984;11(1):47-60.
- Vorhees CV, Williams MT. Morris water maze: procedures for assessing spatial and related forms of learning and memory. Nat Protoc. 2006;1(2):848-858.
- Vorhees CV, Williams MT. Assessing spatial learning and memory in rodents. ILAR J. 2014;55(2):310-332.
- D'Hooge R, De Deyn PP. Applications of the Morris water maze in the study of learning and memory. Brain Res Brain Res Rev. 2001;36(1):60-90.
- Barnes CA. Memory deficits associated with senescence: a neurophysiological and behavioral study in the rat. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1979;93(1):74-104.
- Garthe A, Kempermann G. An old test for new neurons: refining the Morris water maze to study adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Front Neurosci. 2013;7:63.
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