The use of fish models to study human neurological disorders

•The advantages and disadvantages of fish for neuropsychiatric research are discussed.•Fish belong to vertebrates, sharing neuronal structures and functions with human.•Small fish larva is transparent being feasible for imaging.•Fish class includes diverse species with multiple research possibilities. Small teleost fish including zebrafish and medaka have been used as animal models in basic science research due to the relative ease of handling and transparency during embryogenesis. Current advances in genetic engineering and progress in disease genetics allowed utilization of these fish to study neurological diseases and psychiatric disorders. This review summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of using fish for neuropsychiatric research using primarily our own studies as examples. We discuss how fish belong to a class of vertebrates, are feasible for imaging, and include diverse species with multiple research possibilities yet to be discovered.