Girella zebra
| Danio rerio | |
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| An adult female zebrafish | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Danio |
| Species: | D. rerio |
| Binomial name | |
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Danio rerio (F. Hamilton, 1822) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the minnow family (Cyprinidae) of the order Cypriniformes. Native to the Himalayan region, it is a popular aquarium fish, frequently sold under the trade name zebra danio. The zebrafish is also an important and widely used vertebrate model organism in scientific research, and was among the first vertebrates to be cloned (frogs were cloned decades earlier). It is particularly notable for its regenerative abilities, and has been modified by researchers to produce many transgenic strains.
The zebrafish is a derived member of the genus Danio, of the family Cyprinidae. It has a sister-group relationship with Danio kyathit. Zebrafish are also closely related to the genus Devario, as demonstrated by a phylogenetic tree of close species. The zebrafish was referred to in scientific literature as Brachydanio rerio for many years until its reassignment to the genus Danio.
The zebrafish is native to the streams of the southeastern Himalayan region, and is found in parts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Burma. The species arose in the Ganges region in eastern India, and commonly inhabits streams, canals, ditches, ponds, and slow-moving or stagnant water bodies, including rice fields. Zebrafish have been introduced to parts of the United States, presumably by deliberate release or by escape from fish farms.
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Wikipedia