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Email the author (Login required) Sex and size do not influence gastrointestinal transit time in zebrafish (Danio rerio): A computer vision approach
Submited: 2025-07-05 19:48:00 | Published: 2025-10-31 20:21:55
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3856/vol53-issue5-fulltext-3497
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a vertebrate model used in biomedical and ecological research that requires standardized feeding protocols to ensure the reproducibility and accuracy of trials across laboratories. This study evaluated gastrointestinal transit time (GITT) in zebrafish using a computational red, green, and blue (RGB)-based method to analyze the transition of fecal color. While sex and size did not significantly influence GITT, relative fecal production varied (P < 0.05) by sex-size interactions: small males produced 29.7% of their average body weight, whereas large females and males yielded 6.1 and 5.2%, respectively. The RGB method demonstrated superior precision (coefficient of variation - CV < 18%) compared to human observation (CV = 70.83%), with strong inter-channel correlations (red-green: r = 0.971, red-blue: r = 0.944; P < 0.05). Human vision estimated GITT at 4:00 h, while the RGB channels indicated a range of 3:40-3:48 h. These findings validate computer vision as a standardized tool for digestive studies and highlight the need for sex-specific feeding protocols in zebrafish aquaculture to optimize nutrient utilization and welfare.
