Zebrafish Age Converter

Zebrafish as an Aging Model

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are increasingly used in aging research due to their genetic tractability, optical transparency (especially Casper and Nacre strains), short generation time, and conserved vertebrate aging pathways.

Key advantages over rodent models:

• High-throughput screening: small size, external fertilization, 200+ eggs per cross
• Genetic tools: CRISPR, transgenics, forward genetic screens
• Imaging: live imaging of organ aging in transparent strains
• Cost: 10–50× cheaper per animal than rodent housing

The main limitation is that zebrafish–human age scaling is less well-characterized than rodent models.

Developmental Stages (Kimmel 1995)

Zebrafish development follows the Kimmel et al. (1995) staging series:

• 0–0.75 hpf: Zygote
• 0.75–2.25 hpf: Cleavage
• 2.25–5.25 hpf: Blastula
• 5.25–10 hpf: Gastrula
• 10–24 hpf: Segmentation (somite formation)
• 24–48 hpf: Pharyngula
• 48–72 hpf: Hatching
• 72 hpf–30 dpf: Larval
• 30–90 dpf: Juvenile
• >90 dpf: Adult

For precise embryonic staging, use the Zebrafish Embryo Staging Calculator which includes temperature correction.