Terrestrial jumping assay for adult zebrafish as a potential tool to assess motor, affective and drug-evoked phenotypes

Ruyue Bai; Zichen Li; Yimeng Wang; Gaomuyi Wang; Yingze Wang; Jiale Chu; Haojun Yao; Ni Luh Nitya Sawitri; Zhike Fu; Qinglu Suo; Huiling Cai; Chongguang Zhao; Qinming Lu; Zhixuan He; Xilei Jiang; Yixuan Pang; Longen Yang; Jiahao Cui; Murilo S. de Abreu; Adam Michael Stewart; Valentina N. Perfilova; Allan V. Kalueff

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116414

Terrestrial jumping assay for adult zebrafish as a potential tool to assess motor, affective and drug-evoked phenotypes

Ruyue Bai
, Zichen Li
, Yimeng Wang
, Gaomuyi Wang
, Yingze Wang
, Jiale Chu
, Haojun Yao
, Ni Luh Nitya Sawitri
, Zhike Fu
, Qinglu Suo
, Huiling Cai
, Chongguang Zhao
, Qinming Lu
, Zhixuan He
, Xilei Jiang
, Yixuan Pang
, Longen Yang
, Jiahao Cui
, Murilo S. de Abreu^*
, Adam Michael Stewart

Valentina N. Perfilova, Allan V. Kalueff^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Indonesia International Institute for Life-Sciences
International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC)
Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre
Volgograd State Medical University
St. Petersburg State University
COBRAIN Center
Yerevan State Medical University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Terrestrial jumping is a typical evolutionarily conserved ‘survival’ fish behavior. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are widely used as a model organism in CNS research and drug discovery. Here, we explore the potential utility of the terrestrial jumping assay to characterize behavioral effects of a wide range of pharmacological and other experimental manipulations in adult zebrafish. For this, zebrafish were individually placed in a large glass tank and their jumping behavioral profile was assessed for 60 s by video-recording and subsequent off-line analyses of escape-like jumps and immobility episodes in a slow mode. Treatment groups including acute exposure to ethanol, arecoline, caffeine, alarm pheromone and live predator (Nandus nandus), as well as chronic exposure to neuroactive drugs fluoxetine, reserpine, cuprizone and rotenone. Overall, the assay shows high sensitivity to various experimental manipulations, supporting the utility of the terrestrial jumping assay as a fast, low-cost and single-trial behavioral paradigm to assess both motor phenotypes and affective-like responses in zebrafish.

Original language	English
Article number	116414
Journal	Behavioural Brain Research
Volume	515
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116414
Publication status	Published - 18 Oct 2026

Keywords

Affective phenotype
Drug screening
Motor phenotype
Terrestrial jumping
Zebrafish

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10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116414

Cite this

Bai, R., Li, Z., Wang, Y., Wang, G., Wang, Y., Chu, J., Yao, H., Sawitri, N. L. N., Fu, Z., Suo, Q., Cai, H., Zhao, C., Lu, Q., He, Z., Jiang, X., Pang, Y., Yang, L., Cui, J., de Abreu, M. S., ... Kalueff, A. V. (2026). Terrestrial jumping assay for adult zebrafish as a potential tool to assess motor, affective and drug-evoked phenotypes. Behavioural Brain Research, 515, Article 116414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116414

@article{4c1414a07e8a4b5ba6fb448a90b9d931,

title = "Terrestrial jumping assay for adult zebrafish as a potential tool to assess motor, affective and drug-evoked phenotypes",

abstract = "Terrestrial jumping is a typical evolutionarily conserved {\textquoteleft}survival{\textquoteright} fish behavior. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are widely used as a model organism in CNS research and drug discovery. Here, we explore the potential utility of the terrestrial jumping assay to characterize behavioral effects of a wide range of pharmacological and other experimental manipulations in adult zebrafish. For this, zebrafish were individually placed in a large glass tank and their jumping behavioral profile was assessed for 60 s by video-recording and subsequent off-line analyses of escape-like jumps and immobility episodes in a slow mode. Treatment groups including acute exposure to ethanol, arecoline, caffeine, alarm pheromone and live predator (Nandus nandus), as well as chronic exposure to neuroactive drugs fluoxetine, reserpine, cuprizone and rotenone. Overall, the assay shows high sensitivity to various experimental manipulations, supporting the utility of the terrestrial jumping assay as a fast, low-cost and single-trial behavioral paradigm to assess both motor phenotypes and affective-like responses in zebrafish.",

keywords = "Affective phenotype, Drug screening, Motor phenotype, Terrestrial jumping, Zebrafish",

author = "Ruyue Bai and Zichen Li and Yimeng Wang and Gaomuyi Wang and Yingze Wang and Jiale Chu and Haojun Yao and Sawitri, \{Ni Luh Nitya\} and Zhike Fu and Qinglu Suo and Huiling Cai and Chongguang Zhao and Qinming Lu and Zhixuan He and Xilei Jiang and Yixuan Pang and Longen Yang and Jiahao Cui and \{de Abreu\}, \{Murilo S.\} and Stewart, \{Adam Michael\} and Perfilova, \{Valentina N.\} and Kalueff, \{Allan V.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2026",

month = oct,

day = "18",

doi = "10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116414",

language = "English",

volume = "515",

journal = "Behavioural Brain Research",

issn = "0166-4328",

}

Bai, R, Li, Z, Wang, Y, Wang, G, Wang, Y, Chu, J, Yao, H, Sawitri, NLN, Fu, Z, Suo, Q, Cai, H, Zhao, C, Lu, Q, He, Z, Jiang, X, Pang, Y, Yang, L, Cui, J, de Abreu, MS, Stewart, AM, Perfilova, VN & Kalueff, AV 2026, 'Terrestrial jumping assay for adult zebrafish as a potential tool to assess motor, affective and drug-evoked phenotypes', Behavioural Brain Research, vol. 515, 116414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116414

TY - JOUR

T1 - Terrestrial jumping assay for adult zebrafish as a potential tool to assess motor, affective and drug-evoked phenotypes

AU - Bai, Ruyue

AU - Li, Zichen

AU - Wang, Yimeng

AU - Wang, Gaomuyi

AU - Wang, Yingze

AU - Chu, Jiale

AU - Yao, Haojun

AU - Sawitri, Ni Luh Nitya

AU - Fu, Zhike

AU - Suo, Qinglu

AU - Cai, Huiling

AU - Zhao, Chongguang

AU - Lu, Qinming

AU - He, Zhixuan

AU - Jiang, Xilei

AU - Pang, Yixuan

AU - Yang, Longen

AU - Cui, Jiahao

AU - de Abreu, Murilo S.

AU - Stewart, Adam Michael

AU - Perfilova, Valentina N.

AU - Kalueff, Allan V.

PY - 2026/10/18

Y1 - 2026/10/18

N2 - Terrestrial jumping is a typical evolutionarily conserved ‘survival’ fish behavior. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are widely used as a model organism in CNS research and drug discovery. Here, we explore the potential utility of the terrestrial jumping assay to characterize behavioral effects of a wide range of pharmacological and other experimental manipulations in adult zebrafish. For this, zebrafish were individually placed in a large glass tank and their jumping behavioral profile was assessed for 60 s by video-recording and subsequent off-line analyses of escape-like jumps and immobility episodes in a slow mode. Treatment groups including acute exposure to ethanol, arecoline, caffeine, alarm pheromone and live predator (Nandus nandus), as well as chronic exposure to neuroactive drugs fluoxetine, reserpine, cuprizone and rotenone. Overall, the assay shows high sensitivity to various experimental manipulations, supporting the utility of the terrestrial jumping assay as a fast, low-cost and single-trial behavioral paradigm to assess both motor phenotypes and affective-like responses in zebrafish.

AB - Terrestrial jumping is a typical evolutionarily conserved ‘survival’ fish behavior. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are widely used as a model organism in CNS research and drug discovery. Here, we explore the potential utility of the terrestrial jumping assay to characterize behavioral effects of a wide range of pharmacological and other experimental manipulations in adult zebrafish. For this, zebrafish were individually placed in a large glass tank and their jumping behavioral profile was assessed for 60 s by video-recording and subsequent off-line analyses of escape-like jumps and immobility episodes in a slow mode. Treatment groups including acute exposure to ethanol, arecoline, caffeine, alarm pheromone and live predator (Nandus nandus), as well as chronic exposure to neuroactive drugs fluoxetine, reserpine, cuprizone and rotenone. Overall, the assay shows high sensitivity to various experimental manipulations, supporting the utility of the terrestrial jumping assay as a fast, low-cost and single-trial behavioral paradigm to assess both motor phenotypes and affective-like responses in zebrafish.

KW - Affective phenotype

KW - Drug screening

KW - Motor phenotype

KW - Terrestrial jumping

KW - Zebrafish

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105047753577

U2 - 10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116414

DO - 10.1016/j.bbr.2026.116414

M3 - Article

C2 - 42586488

AN - SCOPUS:105047753577

SN - 0166-4328

VL - 515

JO - Behavioural Brain Research

JF - Behavioural Brain Research

M1 - 116414

ER -

Terrestrial jumping assay for adult zebrafish as a potential tool to assess motor, affective and drug-evoked phenotypes

Abstract

Keywords

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