Non-mammalian vertebrates including zebrafish, frogs, and other aquatic species are increasingly used in biomedical research, with welfare frameworks still developing to address their specific needs.
The welfare of non-mammalian research vertebrates has been underserved by regulations written primarily with mammals in mind, and by the assumption that fish and amphibians are less sentient than mammals. As zebrafish use has grown to represent a significant proportion of all vertebrate research, welfare frameworks that address their specific needs — anaesthesia during procedures, enrichment, social housing of schooling species, humane endpoints — have become urgent priorities. The welfare improvement opportunity in this area is large because current baseline practice is low.