Guidelines for use of fishes in research

The 2004 and 2014 Guidelines were developed to provide a structure that advances appropriate
attention toward valid experimental designs and procedures with aquatic animals while ensuring
humane treatment of the experimental subjects. At a practical level, the Guidelines are intended
to provide general recommendations on field and laboratory endeavors, such as sampling,
holding, and handling fishes; to offer information on administrative matters, including
regulations and permits; and to address typical ethical concerns, such as perceptions of pain or
discomfort experienced by experimental subjects. These Guidelines must be recognized as
guidelines. They are not intended to provide detailed instructions but rather to alert investigators
to a broad array of topics and concerns to consider prior to initiating study. At a comprehensive
level, the principles upon which these Guidelines are based are broadly applicable, and many of
the described practices and approaches can be adapted to situations involving other aquatic
animal species and conditions.

Understanding the differences between fishes and other vertebrates, especially mammals, is
critically important to conducting scientifically sound research with fishes. Disparities in life
histories and mortality rates in fishes versus other vertebrates are critical in designing sustainable
sampling levels in fish populations. The UFR Committee points out that (1) compared to
mammalian populations, adult populations of many fish species persist despite very high natural
mortality rates in juvenile stages by virtue of the fact that most species lay thousands or tens of
thousands of eggs; (2) because of these mortality patterns, research on fishes, especially field
research or research on early life stages, can involve, and often requires, much larger numbers of
research subjects than does research on mammals; and (3) the animal handling and husbandry
requirements for fishes are fundamentally different from those for mammals and other
vertebrates, in general. Policies, regulations, and recommendations developed for research on
mammals, birds, reptiles, or even amphibians are frequently inappropriate for research with
fishes. The Guidelines also address some of the ethical concerns that motivate guidelines used
for research with other vertebrates, while being mindful of the unique physiology and general
nature of fishes.

The Guidelines were developed for general use by investigators within the United States;
therefore, the roles, responsibilities, and informational needs of Institutional Animal Care and
Use Committees (IACUCs) were given specific attention. All United States institutions that use
vertebrate animals for research, teaching, research training, and biological testing are required to
create an IACUC to oversee and evaluate all aspects of the institution’s animal care and use
program. Investigators from other nations who read this document may disregard specific
references to U.S. state and federal laws and regulations, as their institutional infrastructure and
processes may differ from those of an internal committee such as IACUCs. The principles described herein, however, are applicable to research on fishes regardless of geographic location.
Investigators in other nations may benefit by modifying any of the specific provisions pertaining
to the United States, thereby adopting guidelines consistent with the laws and regulations of their
own government. The UFR Committee urges that the Guidelines be endorsed and adopted
(adapted, where necessary) by those state and federal authorities with regulatory responsibilities
for fishes, offices with federal oversight (e.g., National Institutes of Health, Office of Laboratory
Animal Welfare; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/olaw.htm) as well as by universities and other
institutions and authorities using fishes and aquatic animals within their research and teaching
programs.