Primary Assay — Zebrafish
Acoustic/Vibrational Startle (C-bend)
Danio rerio
A tap or acoustic stimulus triggers a rapid C-shaped body bend mediated by Mauthner neurons. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of this startle is conserved from fish to humans and is disrupted in schizophrenia models.
Quantitative Output
Measured Parameters
Every parameter is automatically tracked frame-by-frame in the ConductVision pipeline for Danio rerio.
| Parameter | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Response latency | ms | Time from stimulus to first movement |
| C-bend angle | degrees | Maximum body curvature during startle |
| Response probability | % | Proportion of trials eliciting C-bend |
| Habituation rate | slope | Decline in response across repeated trials |
| PPI ratio | % | Startle reduction with prepulse |
References
Citations for Acoustic/Vibrational Startle (C-bend)
- Burgess HA, Granato M. (2007). Sensorimotor gating in larval zebrafish. J Neurosci, 27(18), 4984-4994. PMID: 17475807
- Best JD, Berghmans S, Hunt JJ, Clarke SC, Fleming A, Goldsmith P. (2008). Non-associative learning in larval zebrafish. Neuropsychopharmacology, 33(5), 1206-1215. PMID: 17625499
Compatible Equipment
Hardware for Zebrafish Research
DanioVision Observation Chamber
Larval 96-well locomotion and light/dark assays
ZebraBox Multi-Well System
High-throughput larval screening
Zebrafish Behavioral Tank
Adult novel tank, shoaling, social preference
T-Maze for Zebrafish
Spatial learning and memory
Infrared Camera System
Dark-phase recording without light artifact
Related Assays
Other Zebrafish Primary Assays
01
Light/Dark Challenge Assay
Danio rerio
Larval zebrafish exhibit robust locomotor changes when alternating between light and dark phases, with dark phases trigg…
01
Thigmotaxis (Wall-Hugging)
Danio rerio
Larval and adult zebrafish display increased wall-proximity behavior in anxiogenic conditions, analogous to rodent thigm…
01
Novel Tank Diving Test
Danio rerio
Adult zebrafish initially dive to the bottom of a novel tank and gradually explore upper regions. Bottom-dwelling time s…
Run Acoustic/Vibrational Startle (C-bend) on ConductVision
Our team will configure the protocol, camera rig, and analysis pipeline for your zebrafish facility.
