PsychoFish

Nowadays besides using conventional mammal species, the zebrafish has became an equally important laboratory animal. Apart from its intensively popular cardiovascular usage, this species can also be efficiently used for neural and psycho-physiological/pharmacological basic- and applied researches. To enable such applications, our firm developed the PSYCHOFISH measuring system. This system is suitable for quantitative monitoring single individual motion and group behaviour.

PsychoFish consists of the next three main units:

• Mechanical unit
• Image recording unit
• Hardware/software allows storing, visualizing and evaluating the image sequence

A 1260 x 500 x 1250 mm anodized aluminium frame is providing the basis of the mechanical unit, which includes the pool-holding plate. This plate is made of white opal Plexiglas to provide an even light-distribution. The power supply unit, which insures the power supply of the lighting, is placed inside the frame.

The system provides a possibility for two different arrangements of lighting, which allows a wider range of methodical application:

• Lower light intensity with white background lighting
• Upper infra lighting

The infra lighting and the image recording unit are positioned on the horizontal level of the vertical aluminium frame. Both components can be adjusted on its own level. On the pool holding plate optimally 4 pieces of 100x200x50 mm fish pools can be placed.

The KOMI image evaluating program, belonging to the measurement systems, is made for the objective monitoring of group cohesion (social interaction) and movement intensity (locomotor activity) of the zebra fish. It provides an opportunity to process and evaluate previously recorded (image sequences). The two different measurement procedures are controlled by two different programme branches: examining group cohesion (social interaction) and examining movement intensity (locomotor activity).

Specification