zebrafish

American  

[zee-bruh-fish, zeb-ruh-] / ˈzi brəˌfɪʃ, ˈzɛb rə- /

noun

plural

zebrafishes,

plural

zebrafish

1. a small, slender freshwater fish, Brachydanio rerio, having luminous bluish-black and silvery-gold horizontal stripes: popular in home aquariums.

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Etymology

Origin of zebrafish

First recorded in 1765–75; zebra + fish

Example Sentences

Additional experiments in zebrafish were used to investigate the biological processes involved in the damage.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

The Arabian killifish larvae model was developed with support from an NC3Rs project grant as an alternative to using mouse and zebrafish models, which are commonly used to study interactions between pathogens and their hosts.

From Science Daily • Dec. 23, 2025

The technique also successfully repaired mutations linked to scoliosis in zebrafish embryos.

From Science Daily • Oct. 25, 2025

He sees consolation in zebrafish gathering around a distressed tankmate, for example, and generosity in lab rats choosing to forgo immediate treats to free a trapped colleague, sometimes sharing the food afterward.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025

In zebrafish studies, it was shown to stop the formation of new blood vessels that tumours need in order to grow.

From Science Daily • Nov. 27, 2024