The corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) family consists of four aralogous genes, CRH and urocortins (UCNs) 1, 2, and 3. In a previous tudy, we analyzed CRH in the teleost model organism zebrafish and its ranscript distribution in the embryonic brain. Here, we describe ull-length cDNAs encoding urotensin 1 (UTS1), the teleost UCN1 rtholog, and UCN3 of zebrafish. Major expression sites of uts1 in adult ebrafish are the caudal neurosecretory system and brain. By using T-PCR analysis, we show that uts1 mRNA is also present in ovary, aternally contributed to the embryo, and expressed throughout embryonic evelopment. Expression of ucn3 mRNA was detected in a range of adult issues and during developmental stages from 24 hours post fertilization nward. Analysis of spatial transcript distributions by whole-mount in itu hybridization revealed limited forebrain expression of uts1 and cn3 during early development. Small numbers of uts1-synthesizing eurons were found in subpallium, hypothalamus, and posterior iencephalon, whereas ucn3-positive cells were restricted to elencephalon and retina. The brainstem was the main site of uts1 and cn3 synthesis in the embryonic brain. uts1 Expression was confined to he midbrain tegmentum; distinct hindbrain cell groups, including locus oeruleus and Mauthner neurons; and the spinal cord. ucn3 Expression was ocalized to the optic tectum, serotonergic raphe, and distinct hombomeric cell clusters. The prominent expression of uts1 and ucn3 in rainstem is consistent with proposed roles of CRH-related peptides in tress-induced modulation of locomotor activity through monoaminergic rainstem neuromodulatory systems. J. Comp. Neurol. 518:2978-2995, 2010.