The zebrafish issue of Development

In December 1996, a special issue of Development appeared that presented in 37 papers the results of two large screens for zebrafish mutants performed in Tubingen and Boston. The papers describe about 1500 mutations in more than 400 new genes involved in a wide range of processes that govern development and organogenesis. Up to this day, the mutants provide a rich resource for many laboratories, and the issue significantly augmented the importance of zebrafish as vertebrate model organism for the study of embryogenesis, neuronal networks, regeneration and disease. This essay relates a personal account of the history of this unique endeavor.