Probable transcriptional regulator involved in developmental processes. May act as a transcriptional repressor (Potential). Expressed in the 2-somite stage (10 hpf) in the neural keel between rhombomere 7 (r7) and the anterior spinal cord. Between the 2- and 20-somite stages (10-19 hpf), expressed caudally in the developing spinal cord. At 25 somite stage (21 hpf), detected throughout the spinal cord with expression levels gradually decreasing from anterior to posterior. At the prim-5 stage (24 hpf), detected in the pectoral fin buds and in the dorsal forebrain. At the long-pec stage (48 hpf), expressed in the telecephalon, tectum opticum, hindbrain, cerebellum, in the first pharyngeal arch, in the eyes and at very low level in the olfactory placodes. Around the protruding mouth stage (72-96 hpf), some expression is still detected in the eyes and only scattered expression is seen in the tectum, midbrain/hindbrain boundary and hindbrain. By the early larval stage (120 hpf), no expression is detected in the first pharyngeal arch and only low expression is detectable in the telecephalon, midbrain/hindbrain boundary, hindbrain and along the edges of the tectum. Up-regulated in embryos by all-trans retinoic acid at the prim-5 stage (24 hpf) in more anterior regions of the neural tube, especially in the midbrain, with weaker expression in the forebrain and in the eye primordium. Belongs to the teashirt C2H2-type zinc-finger protein family.