Book review - Development/Zebrafish Issue, Volume 123

The December 1996 issue of Development, being a separate volume of the journal, is unusual in that it is entirely dedicated to developmental studies in the zebrafish (Danio rerio). It contains original research articles documenting the results of international research efforts to identify and functionally describe genes that regulate development in zebrafish. The majority of research contributions to this volume are from the research groups at the Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA and the Max-Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen, Germany. However, these two groups also collaborated heavily with some of the most renowned centers in this particular field of developmental research throughout the world (e.g., Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, USA; ICRF Developmental Biology Unit, Oxford, UK; Department of Biology, University of California, La Jolla, USA; Institute of Zoology, University of Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Neurobiology, University of Heidelberg). This volume represents a highly organized and valuable description of the genes that play major roles in the succinct steps during the early stages of zebrafish development. The arrangement of this volume is veritable proof that science is not only challenging and interesting but rather that it can be a lot of fun. Indeed, the articles follow the steps in zebrafish development, while the top right edge of every page displays a small picture of a minute sequence in zebrafish development leading to a flipbook of zebrafish embryogenesis. This flipbook animation of zebrafish embryogenesis is explained in more detail at the end of the volume by Karlstrom and Kane. Furthermore, giving specific mutant phenotypes rather distinct names (e.g. van gogh, obelix, dackel, ding, crocodile, goosepimples, kurzschluss, quasimodo, zombie), facilitates the association of mutants with a given stage or function during embryogenesis. This volume will permit even the non-developmental scientist a good understanding of the matter at hand, while supplying the expert in the field with an array of cutting edge technology and in-depth information.