Circadian Modulation of Behavioral Stress Responses in Zebrafish Is Age‐Dependent

• Published in: Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology Vol. 343; no. 4; pp. 457 - 467
• Main Authors: Pintos, Santiago, Lucon‐Xiccato, Tyrone, Vera, Luisa María, Sánchez‐Vázquez, Francisco Javier, Bertolucci, Cristiano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.05.2025
• Subjects: Age Factors; age‐related response; Aging - physiology; Animals; anxiety‐like behavior; Behavior, Animal - physiology; circadian rhythm; Circadian Rhythm - physiology; Female; fish welfare; Male; stress; Stress, Physiological - physiology; Zebrafish - physiology; age‐related response; anxiety‐like behavior; stress; fish welfare; circadian rhythm
• ISSN: 2471-5638; 2471-5646
• DOI: 10.1002/jez.2905

ABSTRACT In the wild, stressors occur with varying likelihood throughout the day, leading animals to evolve plastic stress responses that exhibit circadian rhythmicity. In mammals, studies have revealed that the circadian plasticity of stress response may differ with age. However, such developmental effects have been largely overlooked in other vertebrate groups. In our research, we explored the presence of developmental variation in the daily pattern of behavioral stress response in a teleost fish model: the zebrafish (Danio rerio). We compared juvenile and adult individuals in two behavioral paradigms commonly used to analyze fish stress response, such as the open‐field test and the diving test. Our comparisons were conducted every 4 h during a 24‐h cycle to analyze daily variations. Significant daily rhythms were detected for almost all analyzed behaviors in both tests. In general, the analyses suggested a greater stress response in adults during the daytime and in juveniles during the night‐time, although not all indicators aligned in this direction. Moreover, we found average differences in zebrafish behavior, suggesting that juveniles were more sensitive to stress. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of considering developmental variation in the circadian pattern of stress response in non‐mammalian species like zebrafish. Summary Stress behavior is modulated by age and time of day in zebrafish Aligning husbandry practices with circadian rhythms and developmental stages could improve fish welfare